The Presidency on Friday faulted comments by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over the proposed establishment of state police, accusing him of deflecting attention from insecurity challenges in his state.
The response followed remarks by Makinde during the governorship and legislative primaries of the Allied Peoples Movement held in Ibadan, where he said the Federal Government should stop “wasting Nigerians’ time” on state police, insisting states already possess the constitutional powers to establish their own policing structures through legislation.
Makinde cited the establishment of the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, as evidence that regional security outfits could be created through laws passed by state Houses of Assembly.
According to the governor, Amotekun was introduced by South-West states after efforts to establish state police failed at the national level.
He also claimed Lagos State did not establish Amotekun because “their boss didn’t want Amotekun,” a comment widely interpreted as a reference to President Bola Tinubu.
Reacting in a statement posted on X, the President’s Special Adviser on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, dismissed Makinde’s claims and accused him of using the Federal Government as a scapegoat amid rising insecurity in Oyo State.
Olusegun described the governor’s comments as “a masterclass in deflection,” insisting that Tinubu had always supported community-based security initiatives.
He argued that while Lagos had committed substantial resources to supporting security agencies, Oyo State had allegedly failed to adequately equip Amotekun operatives despite the security challenges confronting the state.
According to him, state policing requires massive financial commitments, including funding for armories, forensic laboratories, pensions, and logistics, adding that such responsibilities go beyond political rhetoric.
The presidential aide maintained that Tinubu understood the legal and economic complexities surrounding constitutional reforms on state policing and would not rush the process for political reasons.
“Before lecturing the architect of Nigeria’s most successful security funding model, Gov. Makinde owes the people of Oyo State a duty of care,” Olusegun stated, urging the governor to strengthen Amotekun before criticising the Federal Government.
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