Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has declared that his predecessor, the late former Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, laid the foundation for Nigeria’s evolving security architecture through his fierce and unwavering advocacy for state police and decentralised policing.
Governor Aiyedatiwa made these remarks during a posthumous tribute event held in honour of the late former governor, organized in collaboration with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission and the Akeredolu Foundation.
Addressing guests, regional leaders, and stakeholders at the event, Governor Aiyedatiwa noted that the late Akeredolu foresaw the limitations of Nigeria’s centralized command structure long before the current national consensus took shape.
“My boss may no longer be here physically, but his ideas continue to illuminate our path,” Aiyedatiwa said. “Arakunrin Akeredolu understood very early that Nigeria’s centralized security apparatus could no longer adequately respond to our complex, evolving local security threats. His early push for state police, once viewed by some as contentious, has now gained nationwide acceptance as the viable way forward.”
Aiyedatiwa emphasized that the greatest tribute to Akeredolu’s memory would not come from ceremonies or monuments, but from realizing a safer, more decentralized, and truly federal Nigeria where communities actively participate in their own protection.
In his address, Governor Aiyedatiwa highlighted key structural requirements for the proposed state police model to earn public trust, stressing that legislative approval is only the first step.
“The proposed state police framework must go beyond legislative declarations. It requires credible recruitment, thorough vetting, rigorous training, and strong institutional safeguards against political abuse,” Aiyedatiwa asserted. “Policing must be measured not merely by state power, but by the confidence and trust of the ordinary citizen.”
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to continuity, Aiyedatiwa assured the people of Ondo State that he remains dedicated to completing all ongoing infrastructure, security, and development projects initiated during Akeredolu’s tenure.
Speaking on behalf of regional institutions, delegates from the DAWN Commission and the Southwest Governors’ Forum reiterated the urgency of establishing state policing frameworks to tackle insecurity across the South-West and Nigeria at large.
Present at the briefing were Prince Adetayo Adeleke-Adedoyin, Head of Special Projects at the DAWN Commission, and Ms. Naomi Olabode, Secretary-General of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, both of whom praised Akeredolu’s pivotal role in founding the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, as the practical precursor to full-fledged state policing.
Statements issued through Chief Press Secretary Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan reaffirmed that the Ondo State Government will continue to work alongside other state governors and the Federal Government to ensure that Akeredolu’s vision for a decentralized, community-driven policing system is fully enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution.
