The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has expressed firm support for the creation of state-controlled police agencies, insisting that Nigeria can no longer depend exclusively on a centralised security system to curb rising insecurity.
Speaking during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme aired by Channels Television and monitored by our correspondent, Adams emphasised that decentralised policing is necessary if the country intends to effectively tackle worsening security threats.
He explained that he “totally agrees” with the recent position of the Southern Governors Forum, a coalition of governors from the Southern region of Nigeria, which renewed its advocacy for state police as part of wider reforms aimed at restructuring national security operations.
According to him, governors in the South-West region have demonstrated commendable leadership on the matter, particularly with their continued push for constitutional amendments that will enable states to operate their own policing systems.
Adams stated, “Anybody who loves this country will not disagree with state police, considering the situation we have,” noting that the nation’s present challenges require an urgent rethink.
Amid concerns that state governors may misuse state police for political interests or intimidation, Adams argued that such fears should not overshadow the urgent need to strengthen the protection of lives and property. He said, “Let us first talk about the protection of life and property, which is the primary responsibility of any government. Partisan politics is secondary.”
He stressed that one of the major problems of the current centralised policing structure is the deployment of security officers who lack familiarity with the communities they are assigned to secure. He described this arrangement as counterproductive, saying that effective security depends on officers who understand the terrain, history, culture, and people of the locality.
“If people in the community are not allowed to police and secure their area, bringing someone unfamiliar with the environment will make the job very difficult,” he said.
Gani Adams cited his hometown, Arigidi-Akoko in Ondo State, Nigeria, as an example of how indigenous knowledge strengthens security operations. He explained that local residents know the forest routes, understand community dynamics, and easily identify strange individuals, making it easier to track criminal activity and gather intelligence.
He said, “We know our forests. We know where intruders enter. We know individuals with criminal backgrounds. Community members can provide intelligence that outsiders cannot.”
Adams added that a country operating a three-tier system of government, comprising federal, state, and local levels, cannot expect efficient security outcomes under a single, centralised policing structure.
He maintained that “There is no way you can run a country with three tiers of governance but only one structure of policing. Without allowing the three tiers to have their own policing structures, you cannot achieve effective security.”
Demands for state police have grown across Nigeria in recent months due to worsening insecurity in many regions. Various groups, including the Nigeria Governors Forum, the Southern Governors Forum, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, and security experts, have repeatedly urged the Federal Government to embrace decentralised policing.
Supporters argue that the centralised Nigeria Police Force is overstretched and unable to respond swiftly to localised threats, which has led to the creation of regional outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.
Okay News reports that Adams’ comments add to the mounting pressure on the Federal Government to consider new approaches to security, particularly as conversations around constitutional restructuring continue to intensify.
