South-West legislators and stakeholders have renewed calls for state police, advanced technology, and stronger community-based security systems amid concerns over rising insecurity.
South-West legislators, governors, traditional rulers, and stakeholders have renewed calls for the establishment of state police and deployment of advanced security technology, according to a report from PUNCH.
The demands were made on Friday at the South-West Zonal Security Summit in Lagos, convened as part of the 10th Senate’s interactive hearings on the National Security Summit.
A statement signed by Enitan Olukotun, media aide to Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, disclosed the resolutions. Abiru, who chairs the South-West hearings of the Senate ad hoc committee, warned that the region must act before insecurity worsens, saying the rise in banditry, kidnapping and violent crimes is “deeply troubling.” He cautioned that groups such as the reported Lakurawa incursion into parts of Kwara and Kogi highlight the urgency for proactive measures.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, supported plans to strengthen regional coordination and modernise Amotekun, emphasising that “a region that cannot promise safety cannot promise prosperity.”
Other lawmakers, including Senators Ibrahim Jimoh and Gbenga Daniel, backed both conventional and non-conventional strategies. Lagos Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, stressed that localised challenges require local solutions. Traditional rulers, youth groups, and civil society organisations also demanded increased funding, community policing, and improved welfare for security personnel.
Nigeria continues to face widespread attacks on schools, worship centres and rural communities, intensifying calls for state policing.