Almost every democratically elected administration in Nigeria has had to grapple with pockets of insecurity in one form or another. Nigerians have watched uprisings metamorphose into banditry and terrorism, as though every administration had its own uniquely tailored brand of insecurity, defined by the modus operandi of these vicious elements.

The faces change, the methods change, but the burden on whoever occupies the highest office in the land has remained heavy and constant.

Just two administrations ago, during President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, we witnessed the horror of the abduction of the Chibok girls and explosives going off in public spaces in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Every well meaning Nigerian was worried, and nowhere felt truly safe. The President’s seat was not the most desirable at the time, and it was clearly a difficult job.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had its own share, mostly in the form of clashes between farmers and herders, driven by grazing routes lost to farming, droughts pushing herders toward greener pastures, and old accommodations between communities slowly breaking down.

I recall quite vividly, while serving as Special Assistant to the former Governor of Oyo State, the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, joining the head of our team in several peace talks with farmers, traditional rulers, and the Hausa and Fulani community in the state. One lesson from those rooms has stayed with me ever since. The people who understood the grievances, the terrain, and the actors were all local, yet the command of security sat far away in Abuja. That gap is the question every administration has struggled to answer.

Today, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in charge, and Nigerians who are students of history watched to see what shape insecurity would take and, more importantly, what this President would do differently. In recent development, the country received an answer that previous decades only debated.

On June 11, following the President’s formal request to the National Assembly to restructure our security architecture, the House of Representatives passed the constitutional amendment to establish state police, with 289 members voting in support and barely a voice against, while the Senate works to complete passage before year end. Today June 12th,2026, in his Democracy Day address, the President spoke plainly: the insecurity we face is partly the product of collapsed grassroots governance, and his administration remains committed to financial autonomy for our 774 local government councils. There it is, a two pronged solution: state police and true local government autonomy.

The first prong closes the gap I saw in those Oyo State peace talks. The amendment to Section 214 of the Constitution creates a dual policing structure under which each state may establish its own force. Security decisions will now be taken by those who know the terrain, the actors, and the grievances at first hand.

To his credit, the President did not merely champion the idea; he asked the National Assembly to institute controls to prevent abuses, the mark of a leader interested in a reform that endures rather than one that backfires. All of this rides on the largest security investment in our history, a 5.41 trillion naira commitment in the 2026 budget and over 50,000 new police officers approved for recruitment.

The second prong puts resources where the new responsibility will live. Since the Supreme Court ruled in July 2024 that federation allocations belonging to local governments must reach them directly, monthly allocations to the 774 councils have grown from roughly 387 billion naira in March 2025 to nearly 530 billion naira by September 2025. The money has never been the problem; control of it was. By pressing autonomy to its conclusion, this administration is returning both funds and accountability to the communities where insecurity actually begins, so that the grassroots governance whose collapse the President identified can finally be rebuilt.

So who wins in all of these? Nigerians win, because security decisions and development funds will finally live where the people live. Governors win the powers they have long demanded, and with them the responsibility they can no longer pass to Abuja. And the country wins a President willing to attempt what others only discussed. The President reminded us on Democracy Day that Nigerians bend and bleed but do not break. With these two reforms, we may finally stop having to prove it so often.

Dr. Titilope Gbadamosi  is the Special Assistant on Youth Initiatives (Monitoring and Delivery) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Concerned Youths of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ido Local Government Area of  Oyo State, have expressed strong opposition to what they described as alleged moves to replace or tamper with the party’s duly elected House of Assembly candidate, Hon. Abass Animasahun, urging leaders to respect the outcome of the primary election.

In a statement released on Friday by the group immediately after its meeting, the youths commended party leaders, elders, and stakeholders for their commitment, sacrifices, and contributions to the growth and stability of the APC in Ido Local Government, noting that their leadership has helped sustain unity within the party.

They also praised the conduct of the party’s House of Assembly primary election, which produced Hon. Abass Animasahun as candidate, describing the process as transparent, credible, and reflective of the true will of party members and delegates.

According to them, the outcome of the primary election represents the collective decision of party faithful and should be protected in the interest of internal democracy and fairness.

“The people have spoken through a legitimate process,” the statement said. “The mandate freely given by party members  must be respected and protected, as democracy can only thrive when the will of the people is upheld.”

The youths warned that any attempt to substitute or alter the outcome of the primary election could create unnecessary tension and dissatisfaction within the party structure in Ido Local Government Area.

They noted that such interference could also weaken party unity and discourage loyal members who participated in the electoral process in good faith.

“It is important to state clearly that any attempt to change or manipulate the mandate after a legitimate primary election may create avoidable crisis and division among party faithful,” the group warned.

Reaffirming their loyalty to the APC, the youths called on party leaders at all levels to stand firmly in defence of the primary election outcome and ensure that justice, fairness, and internal democracy are upheld.

They, however urged unity within the party, stressing that Ido Local Government must continue on a path of progress and stability, while warning against any action capable of reversing the gains already achieved.

Operatives of the Iru Ekun Security Network have arrested two suspected kidnappers and rescued two abducted residents during a forest operation in Ora-Igbomina, Osun State.

The victims, who were reportedly abducted by gunmen on Tuesday and taken into a nearby forest, regained freedom after members of the local security outfit launched a coordinated search operation following distress reports from residents.

A third victim, however, remained in captivity as of Thursday, with efforts ongoing to secure the person’s release.

According to a statement issued by the outfit, the rescue operation followed intelligence received on June 9 that three residents had been forcibly taken away by armed men in the community, triggering fears among locals already worried about rising insecurity in rural areas.

Residents were said to have spent anxious hours hoping for the victims’ safe return before the intervention by the security operatives.

During the operation carried out on Wednesday, the outfit said its operatives tracked the suspects into a forest around Ora-Igbomina, where two suspected kidnappers were overpowered and arrested.

The security outfit disclosed that two victims were rescued unhurt and immediately evacuated to safety.

The team leader of the network claimed that the suspects confessed during preliminary interrogation to being nationals of the Republic of Niger.

The suspects were later handed over to officers of the Nigeria Police Division, Oke-Ila, Osun State, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Founder of the outfit, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, commended the operatives for what he described as discipline and professionalism during the mission.

He said the security network was created to complement the efforts of conventional security agencies, especially in rural communities where delayed emergency response often leaves residents vulnerable to attacks.

“Our duty is prevention and protection, not confrontation. Iru Ekun exists to bridge the security gap at the grassroots and ensure our people can farm, travel, and sleep without fear,” he said.

The incident comes amid growing concerns over kidnapping in parts of the South-West, particularly in rural communities across Osun, Oyo, Ondo, and Kwara states, where criminal gangs are increasingly exploiting forest routes to target residents and farmers.

Meanwhile, the security outfit said efforts to rescue the remaining victim were continuing, assuring residents that the search operation was being handled cautiously to guarantee the victim’s safety.