State Police Essential to Ending Insecurity in Nigeria — Gani Adams

Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, has expressed strong support for the creation of state police, describing decentralised policing as a critical step in tackling Nigeria’s growing security challenges.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Adams said he fully aligns with the Southern Governors’ Forum’s renewed push for state-controlled police as part of broader reforms to the nation’s security architecture. He also commended South-West governors for taking the lead on the initiative.

According to Adams, the current centralised policing system is no longer sufficient, especially in the face of rising insecurity. He argued that fears of political misuse by state governors should not override the urgent need to protect lives and property, which he described as the primary duty of any government.

He noted that one of the major flaws in the present system is the deployment of officers who lack familiarity with the communities they are assigned to. Adams stressed that effective policing depends on personnel who understand the local terrain, history and culture of the people they serve.

Using his hometown of Arigidi-Akoko in Ondo State as an example, Adams said local residents have deep knowledge of forest routes, community networks and individuals with criminal records, making them better positioned to provide timely intelligence and respond to threats.

He maintained that Nigeria’s three-tier system of government cannot function effectively with only a centralised police structure. According to him, federal, state and local governments must each be empowered to establish and manage their own policing frameworks for security to be effective.

Calls for the establishment of state police have intensified in recent months amid worsening insecurity across the country. The Southern Governors’ Forum, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and security experts have repeatedly urged the Federal Government to decentralise policing.

Several state governors, particularly in the South-West, have argued that the Nigeria Police Force is overstretched and unable to respond quickly to local security challenges. Regional outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West and vigilante groups in parts of the North have also emerged as temporary measures, further deepening the debate over constitutional reforms to allow state-controlled policing.

Adams’ remarks have added to growing pressure on the Federal Government to adopt decentralised policing as part of wider reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s security system.

President Bola Tinubu recently urged the National Assembly to review existing laws to enable states to establish their own police forces. In a statement issued on November 26 by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the President said his administration would support state governments that have set up security outfits to protect their people from terrorists and criminal elements.