Southern governors have drawn a firm red line: Nigeria cannot survive its worsening security crisis without state police, and they will accept nothing less.
Meeting in a closed-door emergency session hosted by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun on Wednesday, the Southern Governors’ Forum declared the creation of state-controlled policing “non-negotiable” for true federalism and effective grassroots security.
Present at the high-stakes gathering were Governors Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Alex Otti (Abia), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Charles Soludo (Anambra), and deputy governors representing Osun, Edo, Oyo, and Cross River.
In his opening remarks, Governor Abiodun warned that the spate of mass abductions in schools, churches, and rural communities across the country has exposed the limits of the current centralized policing system.
“Recent events have shown that no region is immune,” he said. “While we commend President Bola Tinubu for his decisive leadership in securing the release of kidnapped victims, the hard truth is that only state police (policing that is closer to the people and understands local realities) can deliver the proactive, intelligence-driven security our people desperately need.”
The governors agreed to immediately champion constitutional and legislative changes to establish state police, develop a unified southern security architecture based on intelligence-sharing and community involvement, and harness the influence of traditional rulers as vital links to the grassroots for early warning and rapid response.
Reading the communiqué, Governor Abiodun stated bluntly: “State police is no longer a request; it is a survival imperative for Nigeria. We are united on this, and we will take our demand to the National Assembly and the Presidency without further delay.”
The southern governors’ uncompromising stance comes amid a wave of kidnappings, cult violence, and rural banditry that have overwhelmed federal security deployments and left citizens in many southern communities living in fear.
Political observers say the unified southern position could force a decisive shift in the long-stalled state police debate, even as some northern governors remain cautious about further decentralisation of security powers.
No specific deadline was given, but sources close to the forum confirmed that a delegation of southern governors will meet with National Assembly leadership within the coming weeks to press home their demand.
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