Lawmakers and stakeholders from the South-West on Friday intensified demands for the establishment of state police, deployment of advanced technology, and stronger community-based security systems amid growing concerns over insecurity nationwide.
The calls were made at the South-West Zonal Security Summit in Lagos, convened as part of the 10th Senate’s interactive hearings on the National Security Summit. The event was disclosed in a statement by Enitan Olukotun, media aide to Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, who represents Lagos East and chairs the South-West hearings of the Senate ad hoc committee.
Abiru, also Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and the Southern Senators’ Forum, urged collective action against emerging threats. He warned that rising banditry, kidnappings, and violent crimes in the region could escalate if not addressed. “Our villages and farmlands have come under increasing threat… If decisive action is not taken, the danger could spill fully into the South-West,” he said, stressing the need to mobilise human, material, and technological resources to defend communities.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Dr Ayodele Ogunsan of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, backed efforts to modernise Amotekun into a unified, technology-driven command capable of cross-state intelligence sharing and joint operations. He emphasised that traditional institutions must remain central to the framework, noting that insecurity undermines economic survival by disrupting markets, farmlands, and investment.
Other lawmakers, including Senators Ibrahim Jimoh (Ondo South) and Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), called for both conventional and non-conventional strategies to combat insurgency and banditry. Lagos Commissioner of Police Moshood Jimoh highlighted the importance of localised solutions, while traditional rulers, represented by Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo of Ilara, pressed for more funding, modern equipment, and grassroots policing.
The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, reiterated that state police is essential to securing communities. Civil society groups, youth organisations, and religious leaders also demanded improved welfare for security personnel.
Nigeria has faced a surge in violent attacks in recent years, from school abductions in the North to church assaults in Kwara, Ondo, and Kaduna, alongside frequent highway kidnappings. These incidents have intensified calls for state policing and technology-driven security systems as the country struggles to contain escalating violence.
