Aiyedatiwa: Akeredolu’s State Police Vision Will Become Reality
**Ondo Governor says late predecessor’s ideas continue to shape Nigeria’s security policy
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has expressed confidence that the late former governor of the state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, will see his vision of state police become a reality, as calls for decentralised security gain momentum across Nigeria.
Aiyedatiwa said Akeredolu’s advocacy for state police and a restructured security architecture had moved beyond regional discussions to become a central issue in Nigeria’s national policy and constitutional debates.
The governor spoke on Thursday at a colloquium in Ibadan organised to commemorate Akeredolu’s 70th posthumous birthday. The event had as its theme, “Fundamentals and Governance of State Policing: Towards a New Architecture for National Security in Nigeria.”
Describing Akeredolu, whom he fondly called “My Oga”, as a selfless public servant, Aiyedatiwa said the late governor’s contributions to governance and security reform continued to inspire Ondo State and the country.
He noted that Akeredolu’s public service career spanned his tenure as Attorney-General of Ondo State, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, governor of Ondo State, Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum and Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
According to Aiyedatiwa, Akeredolu combined legal scholarship, intellectual rigour, courage and a commitment to justice, while his advocacy for true federalism reflected a practical commitment to addressing Nigeria’s governance and security challenges.
He recalled that Akeredolu and other South-West governors responded to rising insecurity by establishing the South-West Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, rather than merely criticising the limitations of the existing security arrangement.
The initiative, he said, was founded on the principle that communities and authorities closest to the people should play meaningful roles in protecting lives and property.
Aiyedatiwa cited the recent involvement of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps, alongside the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, in operations against suspected terrorists in the state’s forests as evidence of the importance of community-based security initiatives.
He said the operations demonstrated the value of local knowledge, intelligence gathering and cooperation among security agencies in confronting threats.
The governor maintained that the experience had further strengthened the argument for a security framework that accommodates local participation, adding that the debate over state police had become increasingly significant to Nigeria’s future security architecture.
He also expressed confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to moving the state police proposal from political debate towards institutional reform.
However, Aiyedatiwa stressed that establishing state police must go beyond creating additional policing structures, insisting that the system should be built on credible recruitment, thorough vetting, professionalism, accountability and public trust.
He said the most meaningful way to honour Akeredolu’s memory would be to build a Nigeria that is safer, more just, more federal and responsive to the needs of its citizens.
According to him, such a system would prioritise intelligence gathering, involve communities in their own protection and measure policing effectiveness by public confidence rather than the exercise of state power alone.
The governor also pledged to sustain Akeredolu’s legacy through the continuation of projects initiated by his predecessor, particularly road projects discussed during meetings of the State Executive Council.
He said Akeredolu had worked with the understanding that his successor would complete projects he could not finish before leaving office.
Aiyedatiwa prayed for God’s continued blessings upon the late governor’s family and for his memory to remain honoured.
Abiodun Calls for Police Recruitment, Structural Reforms
In his keynote address, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said Nigeria needed an additional 554,353 police personnel to meet the police-to-population ratio recommended by the United Nations.
Abiodun called for comprehensive reforms to ensure that state police, if established, would operate effectively and sustainably.
He said the colloquium should serve as more than an occasion to celebrate Akeredolu’s life, urging stakeholders to focus on practical reforms capable of strengthening security and governance.
According to him, Akeredolu understood the relationship between security and economic development, with his vision extending beyond security infrastructure to regional prosperity.
Abiodun said the establishment of Amotekun had demonstrated the importance of community intelligence and rapid response in addressing security challenges across the South-West.
“A secure region is a prosperous region,” he said.
The Ogun governor, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Committee on State Police, added that support for decentralised policing had continued to grow across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
He said Akeredolu’s advocacy had contributed to the growing national conversation on the need to reconsider the centralised policing structure.
Fayemi Recalls Akeredolu’s Courage, Commitment to Justice
Former Ekiti State Governor and former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, described Akeredolu as a courageous advocate for the vulnerable who was unafraid to speak truth to power.
Fayemi said the late governor was a man of many parts who could relate comfortably with both the elite and ordinary citizens.
He recalled Akeredolu’s playful side, including his involvement in choir activities, his appearance at a Kegite shrine and his enjoyment of music by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Femi Kuti and Orlando Owo.
According to Fayemi, Akeredolu’s political philosophy was anchored on the common good and the pursuit of policies capable of bringing benefits to the greatest number of people.
He also recalled Akeredolu’s role in the Southern Governors’ Forum, particularly his insistence that the presidency should rotate to the South, despite political party considerations.
Fayemi said the late governor remained committed to building a prosperous, united and secure Nigeria.
Sanwo-Olu, Oyebanji Seek Continuity
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described Akeredolu as a steadfast voice for the interests, dignity and security of the South-West.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Lagos State Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Salu Hundeyin, said Akeredolu regarded leadership as a responsibility rather than a privilege.
He urged Nigerians to draw lessons from the late governor’s convictions and approach to leadership.
“Aketi may no longer be with us, but his example remains. His voice may have fallen, but the cause for which he stood continues to speak,” he said.
Similarly, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, described Akeredolu as a courageous leader whose determination to confront insecurity contributed to the establishment of Amotekun.
Oyebanji, represented by the Secretary to the Ekiti State Government, Professor Habibat Omolara Adubiaro, said Akeredolu worked with other South-West governors across party lines to address insecurity despite opposition to the regional initiative.
He urged governors in the region to deepen regional integration and called on the South-West Development Commission to pursue ambitious projects capable of transforming the region.
DAWN Commission Backs Decentralised Policing
The Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Dr Seye Oyeleye, said Akeredolu was a leading advocate of decentralised policing who believed Nigeria could no longer rely solely on a police force controlled from Abuja.
Oyeleye argued that the country’s existing policing arrangement was inadequate for its population and security needs.
He said Amotekun had demonstrated that state and regional security initiatives could contribute to addressing security challenges.
Meanwhile, Akeredolu’s first son, Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu Jr., described his father as a committed advocate of justice, human rights, political freedom and accountable governance.
He recalled his father’s involvement in student activism, his legal career, the June 12 democratic struggle, the 2012 fuel-price protest and his efforts to address insecurity.
The event was attended by the wife of the Ondo State governor, Mrs Esther Aiyedatiwa; Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; Ondo State APC Chairman, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prince Segun Omojuwa; serving and former members of the State Executive Council; political leaders and other dignitaries.
