Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Wednesday renewed the call for a joint regional security architecture and the creation of state police, insisting that worsening insecurity across the country demands urgent restructuring.
Abiodun made the call while hosting a meeting of Southern Governors in Abeokuta, where discussions focused heavily on rising security threats affecting communities, schools, farmlands and major infrastructure across the region.
Chairing the session, the governor stressed the need for intelligence-driven security systems, digital surveillance, and a region-wide Safe School Programme to protect vulnerable locations.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for what the governors described as “transformative leadership,” but maintained that the scale and sophistication of current threats had outgrown a centrally controlled policing structure.
“Our region has consistently advocated for a policing system that is closer to the people, more responsive to local realities, and better equipped to address the rapidly evolving threats we face,” Abiodun said.
According to him, decentralising policing remains a non-negotiable component of the South’s push for true federalism and effective grassroots security.
“The recent incidents across the country reinforce the urgency of decentralising policing so that states can take direct responsibility for safeguarding their citizens.
“A unified Southern position on state police will not only enhance intelligence gathering and early-warning capabilities but also strengthen our ability to secure schools, farmlands, border communities and critical infrastructure across our states,” he added.
Abiodun also proposed a real-time digital intelligence-sharing platform across the 17 Southern states, strengthened community policing structures, high-tech corridor surveillance on highways and rail lines, and the establishment of a Regional Rapid Response Fund to manage emergencies swiftly.
Beyond security, the meeting also discussed a coordinated Southern Nigeria development agenda.
The governor highlighted opportunities in digital innovation, agriculture, regional connectivity, and the region’s abundant mineral and energy resources, saying the South must leverage its human capital and natural endowments to drive industrialisation and shared prosperity.
