The nomination of Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State and Chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum by President Bola Tinubu in July this year, as member of the Presidential Working Group on National Policing Bill is not by accident, it was a deliberate resolve based on capacity and commitment the Governor has exhibited on the need to strengthen the internal security architecture through effective community policing.
Governor Abiodun, who is also the Chairman of Governors’ Forum on State Police Creation and representative of President Bola Tinubu on State Police Creation in the Governors’ Forum has been very intentional in the quest for safe environment as only condition for sustainable economic growth, considering the status of Ogun State as a leading industrial hub in the West Africa corridor, and it’s geographical location that makes it prone to influx of individuals with criminal tendencies.
A security outfit like the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps(So-Safe Corps) which was established through the Ogun State Community , Social Orientation and Safety Corps Law, 2017 was inaugurated and adequately equipped for effective operation by the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun, with deployment of its marshals in 2022, to complement the efforts of police and other formal security agencies in the area of intelligence gathering and other operational duties to nip criminal activities in the bud across the state.
The corps, which comprises of ex-service men and critical stakeholders alike in communities around the state have been very effective in providing timely information on the activities of people of the underworld as well as combating cultists and hoodlums operating in different towns and cities within the state.
The coming of the So-Safe-Corps came after the Governor has inaugurated the Ogun State version of the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Operation Amotekun, as a result of overwhelming security threat in the South West geo-political zone, especially the activities of criminal herdsmen who were kidnapping for ransom and committing other several atrocities in the region.
The Dapo Abiodun -led administration provided the two security outfits with necessary equipment to make them functional and effective, hundreds of operational vehicles and motorcycles were made available for their operatives for effective surveillance and prompt response to emergencies in any parts of the state irrespective of the terrain.
In addition to these, Governor Abiodun has been very consistent in engaging community leaders and traditional rulers periodically on issues of security and peaceful co-existence in their domains and the need to shun the temptation of land grabbing, which typically triggers violence and pandemonium in communities.
Also, many ungoverned territories around the state, which were hitherto potential hideouts for criminal elements have been turned to productive arena through massive farming as a result of agricultural initiatives of the state government in which farmers were encouraged through provision of grants, farm equipment and implements.
In the same vein, the Governor continued to partner the police and other security agencies working in the state to strengthen the state’s security architecture by providing them with necessary operational equipment and constantly engaging their leadership. A practical example is the recently inaugurated “Operation Ko Saye” which is a joint operational cooperation between Lagos and Ogun State police commands, established to flush out criminals operating along the Lagos-Ogun corridor.
This initiative have been very fruitful considering the number of successful cases in the last few months, especially kidnapping cases in which many victims were rescued less than 72 hours and suspects neutralized or arrested as the case may be.
It is against this level of consciousness about internal security in Ogun State by the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun that he was called upon for the national assignment alongside notable Nigerians of impeccable pedigree and unflinching patriotism to work out modalities for dual policing system in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, in the euphoria of the successful completion of this epoch-making national assignment and seeing his age-long conviction about decentralised policing system coming into fruition, Governor Dapo Abiodun has declared that his administration was totally ready to establish state police for the purpose of strengthening the state’s security arrangement.
He asserted that Ogun State particularly subscribed to the initiative as a result of its expanding industrial and commercial activities, which necessitated more functional, effective and robust security network for efficient intelligence gathering and combat operations.
He said his administration had consistently strengthened the state’s security architecture through the provision of operational vehicles, allowances and equipment, as well as increased recruitment into the Ogun State Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, adding that Amotekun and the So-Safe Corps currently had a combined strength of about 6,000 personnel.
He said,” To protect the gains we have made, we have continued to strengthen our security architecture by providing them with vehicles, allowances and equipment. We have empowered our Amotekun and increased their recruitment”.
Speaking on the capacity of the existing security apparatus in the state and the level of preparedness to commence the state police arrangement, Governor Abiodun over the weekend said the 6,000 personnel of Amotekun and So-Safe-Corps are readily available to provide an experienced manpower base.
According to him, this community security arrangement in Ogun State has a strong security foundation that would facilitate the transition to state policing and strengthen the protection of lives and property, as well as giving sufficient protection to array of investments across the state.
“I am the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum on State Police Creation and the representative of the President in the Governors’ Forum on State Police Creation. I am proud to announce that the Ogun State House of Assembly has approved the creation of State Police.
“Between Amotekun and So-Safe Corps, we have over 6,000 personnel. We are ready for the Ogun State Police Command, and that will make the difference in protecting the lives and property of our people,” he said.
Governor Abiodun further emphasized the need for effective security arrangement as key to economic growth and sustainable development, stressing that collaboration between communities and security agencies was essential to creating a safe environment for residents, businesses and investors.
As Nigeria succeeded in breaking the jinx of ineffective and primordial centralised policing system under the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the man who have continued to change the primitive order of leadership with courage, we are optimistic of a stronger policing system of dual arrangement across the country for the protection of lives and property of the citizenry.
Kudos to Governor Dapo Abiodun and his colleagues in the Presidential Working Group on National Policing Bill, on the success of this historic national assignment, obviously, the Prince of Iperu has indeed brought his conviction and commitment on community policing system to bear on this laudable initiative.
Ajibola is a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Strategic Communications
