Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has expressed confidence that the late former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu’s advocacy for State Police will eventually become a reality, saying his ideas on security reform continue to influence Nigeria’s national policy debate.
Aiyedatiwa stated this on Thursday at a colloquium in Ibadan held to commemorate Akeredolu’s 70th posthumous birthday. The event, themed, “Fundamentals and Governance of State Policing: Towards a New Architecture for National Security in Nigeria,” brought together governors, political leaders, legal practitioners and other stakeholders.
The governor, who described Akeredolu as “My Oga”, said the former governor’s campaign for a decentralised security system had evolved from a regional demand into a major national conversation on policing and constitutional reform.
Aiyedatiwa recalled Akeredolu’s contributions as Attorney-General of Ondo State, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, governor, Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum and Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum, noting that he combined legal expertise with courage and a strong commitment to justice and true federalism.
He said Akeredolu and other South-West governors responded to rising insecurity by establishing the Amotekun Corps, arguing that communities closest to security threats should have a meaningful role in protecting their people.
According to him, the recent involvement of the Ondo Amotekun Corps alongside the DSS, Army and other security agencies in operations against terrorists in the state’s forests further demonstrated the importance of local intelligence and community-based security.
Aiyedatiwa said President Bola Tinubu had shown commitment to moving the State Police debate towards institutional reform, adding that Akeredolu’s vision should form part of efforts to build a policing system that is professional, accountable, responsive and proactive.
He, however, stressed that the success of State Police would depend on credible recruitment, proper vetting and other safeguards capable of ensuring public confidence, adding that Akeredolu’s greatest memorial would be a safer, more just and responsive Nigeria.
The governor also pledged to sustain Akeredolu’s legacy by completing projects initiated by the late governor, particularly road projects discussed during meetings of the State Executive Council.
In his keynote address, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said Nigeria needed an additional 554,353 police personnel to meet the United Nations-recommended police-to-citizen ratio, stressing that comprehensive reforms were necessary to make State Police effective and sustainable.
Abiodun, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Committee on State Police, said Akeredolu’s vision had contributed to a growing national consensus that the existing centralised security structure was no longer adequate, adding that Amotekun had demonstrated the value of community intelligence and rapid response.
Former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, described Akeredolu as a courageous defender of the vulnerable who consistently spoke truth to power, saying his commitment to the common good shaped his interventions on security, democracy and regional development.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Salu Hundeyin, said Akeredolu treated leadership as a responsibility rather than a privilege and remained a steadfast voice for the interests and security of the South-West.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Habibat Adubiaro, also credited Akeredolu with playing a major role in the establishment of Amotekun, urging South-West leaders to deepen regional cooperation and pursue ambitious development projects.
The Director-General of the DAWN Commission, Dr Seye Oyeleye, said Nigeria could no longer depend solely on a police force controlled from Abuja, arguing that Amotekun had shown that decentralised policing could work.
Akeredolu’s first son, Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu Jr, described his father as a courageous advocate of justice, human rights, political freedom and accountable government, recalling his activism, legal career and campaigns against insecurity and poor governance.
