IBADAN — Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has strongly criticized the Federal Government’s approach to establishing state police, labeling the ongoing administrative delays a "waste of time". Speaking at an event in Ibadan, the governor urged President Bola Tinubu to stop routing the process through the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and instead empower state assemblies to enact the necessary laws.

Governor Makinde also made a startling historical claim regarding the regional security outfit, Operation Amotekun, revealing that Lagos State failed to join the initiative because President Tinubu—who functions as the political godfather of the state—opposed its creation.

"Amotekun Was Just a Stop-Gap

"Reflecting on the security architecture of the Southwest region, Makinde explained that the establishment of the Oyo State Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, in 2020 was never intended to be the final destination for regional security."We wanted state police," Makinde declared. "It was because we couldn`t get it that we set up Amotekun as a stop-gap measure."

The governor emphasized that security remains a fundamental pillar of his administration, but argued that a decentralised, constitutional state police force is the only permanent solution to Nigeria’s pressing security challenges.

Why Lagos Didn`t Join Amotekun

Governor Makinde recalled the legislative unity that birthed the regional security corps, pointing out that nearly all Southwest states passed uniform laws to create the outfit. He explicitly singled out Lagos State for its absence from the arrangement, linking it directly to political directives from President Tinubu.

According to Makinde, all Southwest states, except Lagos, enacted legislation to create Amotekun, claiming that Lagos did not join because of opposition from their "boss," referring to Tinubu.

FG Urged to Bypass Inspector-General of Police

Addressing current efforts to develop state policing frameworks, Makinde argued that involving the executive or the IGP is misguided, emphasizing that it is a constitutional issue that should be handled by the legislature.

The governor urged the Presidency to stop relying on the IGP for establishing state structures.

He maintained that given proper authorization, state assemblies could swiftly enact necessary legislation.

Dismissing the call for memoranda from the National Economic Council as a "waste of time," he argued for direct constitutional amendment by the National Assembly.

Concluding, Makinde urged the National Assembly to move forward with the necessary constitutional changes for state policing to avoid further security delays.