A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has described the National Assembly’s approval of state police as a major step towards improving the country’s security architecture.
Speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Thursday, Oyintiloye said the approval marked a historic milestone in the nation’s pursuit of a more effective, responsive and community-based policing system.
The former lawmaker expressed satisfaction that the proposal, which he said he had championed for several years, had gained legislative backing during the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, “Nigeria’s growing security challenges have long demonstrated the need for a decentralised policing structure capable of addressing local security concerns more effectively.”
He recalled that he had consistently advocated for state police as a practical solution to insecurity and noted that one of his public interventions on the issue was published in a national newspaper.
Oyintiloye said, “The Senate’s decision vindicated years of advocacy by security experts, policy stakeholders and concerned Nigerians who had highlighted the limitations of a highly centralised policing system.”
He stated that the introduction of state police would strengthen intelligence gathering, improve rapid response to security threats and deepen community policing across the country.
The APC chieftain added that the initiative would also create employment opportunities and enable law enforcement agencies to better understand and respond to local security challenges.
“For years, I have remained a vocal advocate of state police because I firmly believed that Nigeria’s evolving security realities require a more localised approach.
