Governors of the Southwest states and their respective State Assemblies have been urged to expedite action on the establishment of state police forces.
This step, it was argued, remains critical in empowering local security agencies and security-relevant groups to respond more swiftly and appropriately to threats, fostering a more proactive crime prevention strategy tailored to the region’s specific needs.
The Aare-in-Council, a distinguished assembly of 48 chiefs of the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, made the call yesterday in Lagos at an emergency meeting convened to review the region’s security landscape.
In a statement by the Atoloye Aare Ona Kakanfo, Chief (Barrister) Babajide Tanimowo, on behalf of the Aare-in-Council, the Council said the review, which focused on security developments over the past three months, also encompassed Kwara, Kogi states and other parts of the country.
The call comes amid rising concerns over security in the Southwest and other parts of the country, where incidents of kidnapping, armed robbery, and banditry have increasingly threatened lives, properties and economic activities.
The Aare-in-Council’s position aligns with ongoing demands across many quarters for decentralised security models in the country.
In advocating for state police, the Council called on the governors to heed the Aare Ona Kakanfo’s earlier call, through written letters, for partnership and enhanced collaboration among security stakeholders and other partners to secure the region.
The Council noted that this move will reinforce collaborative security strategies, enhance community engagement, and foster a unified approach to tackling insecurity.
“Iba Adams currently leads the Southwest Security Stakeholders Group (SSSG), consisting of 16 security-relevant groups with structures at the grassroot across the entire southwest region. This group, with its native security intelligence and capacity, can be of immense help to the state security agencies in combating crimes decisively,” the statement noted.
The Aare-in-Council expressed profound appreciation to Iba Adams for his leadership, recognising his exemplary patience, loyalty, and unwavering commitment in managing the complex regional security network.
Despite facing significant challenges and attempts to undermine his authority, the council praised the Aare Ona Kakanfo for his steadfastness in steering security efforts across the region.
The Council acknowledged the Nigerian security forces for their relentless and timely interventions on security issues, which have contributed to a notable reduction in incidents of kidnapping and banditry within the region.
The recognition, it noted, underscored the importance of continued cooperation between federal security agencies and regional actors in combating insecurity.
However, the council emphasised that the current security framework required greater autonomy and local empowerment to effectively tackle the unique challenges facing the Southwest.
The Aare-in-Council also called on communities across the region to build Community Security Networks to synergise with the Amotekun Corps and the Nigeria Police Force in improving security and safeguarding their respective spaces.
It advised chairpersons of local government councils across the region or the Communities to finance such Security Networks to make them effective.
This grassroots vigilance, the council noted, is indispensable in the broader security architecture and must be encouraged and supported.
The Council called on all stakeholders — governors, traditional rulers, security agencies, and community organisations — to unite against all forms of violence, banditry, and criminality threatening the region’s stability.
