Jelili Gbadamosi
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has described the proposed creation of state police as Nigeria’s most viable solution to its persistent security challenges, saying the initiative would boost intelligence gathering, create thousands of jobs and significantly improve the country’s police-to-citizen ratio.
Speaking at an Arise Television Town Hall Meeting on state policing, the governor said the establishment of state police would bring policing closer to the people and enable security agencies to respond more effectively to local threats.
Abiodun noted that Nigeria currently has an estimated ratio of one police officer to about 660 citizens, far below the United Nations recommendation of one officer to 440 citizens and the global benchmark of one officer to 250 citizens.
He said the creation of state police would immediately increase the country’s security manpower, citing Ogun State’s existing network of about 6,000 personnel in Amotekun, the So-Safe Corps, vigilante groups and other security outfits.
According to him, if similar structures across the federation are integrated into the proposed system, Nigeria could instantly gain between 300,000 and 400,000 additional security personnel.
The governor, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Committee on State Police Creation, said the proposal had gained unprecedented national support and represented the fulfilment of years of advocacy by governors and other stakeholders.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for transmitting the Executive Bill on state police to the National Assembly, describing June 24, 2026, as a historic day in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Abiodun explained that the constitutional amendment seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, thereby empowering states to establish and manage their own police services.
He also highlighted the successes recorded by regional security outfits such as the South-West Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, saying their achievements had demonstrated the effectiveness of community-based policing.
The governor expressed confidence that all 36 State Houses of Assembly would approve the constitutional amendment bill once transmitted to them, owing to the extensive consultations that preceded its drafting.
He, however, stressed that beyond the constitutional amendment, significant work remained in establishing operational frameworks, funding mechanisms, oversight institutions and safeguards to ensure that state police operates professionally and without abuse.
