State Police: Abiodun demands urgent recruitment of 554,353 officers

The Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has said Nigeria will need an additional 554,353 personnel to properly staff the proposed State Police system.

Abiodun made this known on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at a colloquium held in honour of the late former Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

The event was organised to mark Akeredolu’s posthumous 70th birthday. It had the theme, “Fundamentals and Governance of State Policing: Towards a New Architecture for National Security in Nigeria.”

The governor said the debate over State Police had moved beyond advocacy and had become a national necessity. However, he warned that the success of the reform would depend on how it was funded, especially to ensure that poorer states were not left behind.

According to Abiodun, data from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum showed that Nigeria would need 554,353 additional State Police personnel based on the United Nations recommendation of one police officer for every 414 citizens.

He said this would mean recruiting about 184,784 officers every year for three years.

Abiodun said, “The debate is no longer whether Nigeria needs State Police, but how swiftly and sustainably we establish it.”

He argued that Nigeria could no longer operate a security system where most policing responsibilities were controlled from Abuja.

According to him, security is local because police officers need to understand the language, people and terrain of the communities they serve.

“State policing is not a threat to unity; it is the bedrock of stability and prosperity,” he said.

Abiodun, however, warned that differences in the financial strength of states could create problems for the proposed system.

He said only five states, Lagos, Rivers, the Federal Capital Territory, Ogun and Enugu, accounted for 61.6 per cent of Nigeria’s Internally Generated Revenue.

He added that 76 per cent of states generated below the national average of N13,600 per person, while half of the states earned less than N6,334 per person.

The Ogun governor said these financial differences could make it difficult for some states to properly fund their police forces.

He therefore called for the establishment of a constitutional State Police Take-Off Fund. He said the fund should provide equal access grants, additional funding based on need and payments linked to agreed standards.

Abiodun also said the Presidential Working Group was already working on plans covering recruitment, training, funding, accountability and legislative oversight for the proposed State Police system.

He stressed that recruitment must be transparent and properly screened, while officers must receive training in investigations, evidence handling, lawful arrest, conflict management and the protection of vulnerable people.

The governor also warned against political interference in policing.

He said political opponents, journalists, peaceful protesters and minority communities must receive equal protection under the law.

Abiodun called for better welfare for police personnel, including regular salaries, proper equipment, medical care, insurance and support for their families.

He also warned that private individuals and organisations must not be allowed to use financial contributions to influence police investigations or secure preferential treatment.

The governor said improved security was important to Nigeria’s economic development.

He argued that investors would be reluctant to invest in an unsafe environment, while farmers would struggle to access their farms and infrastructure projects would not deliver their full benefits where insecurity remained a problem.

Abiodun described State Police as not only a security strategy but also an important economic strategy for Nigeria.

He credited Akeredolu with helping to move the State Police debate from theory to practical action, recalling the late governor’s role in the establishment of the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, in January 2020.

Also speaking at the event, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said Akeredolu’s campaign for State Police had moved from a regional issue to the centre of Nigeria’s national policy and constitutional discussions.

Aiyedatiwa, who served as Akeredolu’s deputy, said the late governor saw public office as an opportunity to serve the people.

He said the establishment of Amotekun showed that communities closest to security challenges should have an important role in protecting themselves.

Aiyedatiwa said Nigeria must create a State Police system that is professional, responsive and accountable while also protecting citizens from abuse.

Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi also paid tribute to Akeredolu, describing him as a courageous leader who stood firmly for justice and a more decentralised security system.

Fayemi said Akeredolu’s contribution went beyond the creation of Amotekun, noting that he also demonstrated how states in the Southwest could work together to address common security challenges.

The Director-General of the DAWN Commission, Seye Oyeleye, said the discussion should now move from celebrating Akeredolu’s legacy to implementing State Police.

Oyeleye said the major questions were now how State Police would be funded, trained, equipped and regulated, as well as how it would be protected from political abuse.

He stressed that State Police was not a regional or ethnic agenda but a national issue arising from Nigeria’s federal structure and security challenges.