Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has accused the federal government of delaying the creation of state police, insisting that the country does not need to continue waiting before decentralising policing powers to states.
Speaking at the joint mega rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Makinde said governors in the South-West had initially pushed for the establishment of state police but were forced to settle for the regional security outfit, Amotekun, in 2020 after the proposal failed to gain federal approval.
“We wanted state police. It was because we couldn’t get the state police that we established Amotekun as a stop-gap,” Makinde said.
“They should stop wasting Nigerians’ time.”
The governor argued that states do not need to wait for the Inspector-General of Police or federal bureaucracy before taking action, stressing that the South-West states had already demonstrated how regional security structures could be created through legislative backing by state assemblies.
Makinde said Lagos State was the only South-West state that declined to establish Amotekun, alleging that the decision was influenced by President Bola Tinubu’s opposition to the initiative.
“The only state that didn’t create Amotekun is Lagos state, and we know it is because their boss didn’t want Amotekun,” he said.
Tinubu served as governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007 and has continued to wield significant political influence in the state.
Makinde urged the federal government to empower state assemblies with the necessary authority to establish state police, insisting that decentralised policing could become operational within a short period if there was sufficient political will at the subnational level.
According to him, insecurity remains one of the major priorities of his administration, adding that Amotekun was established early in his tenure after it became clear that the federal government was unwilling to approve full state police powers.
His comments come amid growing insecurity concerns in Oyo State following the mass abduction of pupils, students, and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
On May 15, armed gunmen attacked three schools in the Ahoro-Esin-Ele/Yawota axis and abducted about 32 persons, including 18 primary school pupils, seven secondary school students, and seven teachers.
One of the abducted teachers was later reportedly killed by the kidnappers.
Boluwatife Enome
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