The Time For State Police Has Long Overdue — Aiyedatiwa

State police is long overdue in Nigeria, and the time has come for it to be created in all states as part of the critical solutions to security challenges in the country.

This was the view of the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who spoke on Monday at the Annual General Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.

While delivering a lecture at the Breakout Session tagged, ‘Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu Leadership series: Is state police a solution to national insecurity?’, Aiyedatiwa declared his support for the creation of state police in all the states of the federation while giving the assurance that the South West Security Network also known as Amotekun has come to stay in Ondo State and will be funded to improve its operations.

He said, “The centralised policing structure, once envisioned as the protector and servant of the people, has proven inadequate in the face of the complex and evolving security challenges of our time.

“It has failed to shield us from the marauders who strike fear into the hearts of our citizens. It is limited in its capacity to bring to justice those who have turned our highways into death traps and our farmlands into killing fields”.

“Interestingly, a glimmer of hope emerged from the heart of Ondo State, with the birth of the Western Nigeria Security Network, known as Amotekun Corps”.

“Under the visionary leadership of my late Principal, and former Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, CON, in collaboration with his fellow governors in the South-West, this groundbreaking home-grown initiative evolved. Amotekun has soared to unprecedented heights, becoming a shining example of the transformative power of state-level security.

“Amotekun Corp’s lofty journey has been one of remarkable achievements and unwavering resilience. Our brave men and women have scaled the most daunting challenges, confronting terrorists, bandits and kidnappers with unwavering courage. They have forged deep connections with our communities, earning the trust and respect of the very people they serve,” he added.

The governor praised the NBA leadership for organising the session while calling on other states of the federation to replicate the Amotekun model ahead of the establishment of state police.