26th November 2025
Ogun State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun, on Wednesday said the establishment of state police was no longer negotiable in the collective effort to tackle worsening insecurity nationwide.
Abiodun said recent coordinated attacks targeting schoolchildren and worshippers had confirmed that no part of the country was insulated from banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.
The governor stated this while hosting his counterparts from the South at his Iperu-Remo country home in Ikenne Local Government Area.
Governors Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Alex Otti (Abia), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Chukwuma Soludo (Anambra), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo) attended the meeting.
Deputy governors present included Kola Adewusi (Osun), Bayo Lawal (Oyo), Peter Odey (Cross River), and Dennis Idahosa (Edo).
Abiodun praised President Bola Tinubu for what he described as “exceptional leadership” in the recent rescue operations, noting the President’s decision to personally coordinate responses to the spate of abductions.
Abiodun said, “Distinguished colleagues, as we deliberate on the security architecture of Southern Nigeria, it is important to state clearly that the creation of state police remains a non-negotiable component of our collective demand for true federalism and effective grassroots security.
Our region has consistently advocated for a policing system that is closer to the people, more responsive to local realities, and better equipped to address the rapidly evolving threats we face.”
The governor said devolving policing powers to states would enhance intelligence gathering, early-warning systems, and protection of schools, farmlands, border communities and critical infrastructure.
He added, “The recent incidents across the country reinforce the urgency of decentralising policing so that states can take direct responsibility for safeguarding their citizens.
“A unified Southern position on state police will not only enhance intelligence gathering and early-warning capabilities but also strengthen our ability to secure schools, farmlands, border communities, and critical infrastructure across our states.
“In the same spirit of shared purpose, we will be meeting with our revered traditional rulers—custodians of culture, mediators of community affairs, and the closest authority to the grassroots.
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