Banditry: South-West Senators, Others Demand State Police

Senators from the South-West geopolitical region as well as some stakeholders on Friday, intensified calls for the creation of state police, deployment of advanced technology, and stronger community-based security systems amid renewed concerns over rising insecurity in the country.

The calls were made at the South-West Zonal Security Summit held in Lagos, which was convened as part of the 10th Senate’s interactive hearings on the National Security Summit.

Enitan Olukotun, the media aide to lawmaker representing Lagos East, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists on Saturday in Abuja.

Abiru, who chairs the South-West hearings of the Senate ad hoc committee, urged Nigerians to unite against emerging threats.

The Senator also warned that the region must act before insecurity escalates further.

“While the South-West has not experienced the full brunt of terrorism as in some other regions, the rise in banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes across our states is deeply troubling. Our villages and farmlands have come under increasing threat.

“Farmer-herder clashes have been on the increase, our highways have seen more daring incidents, and the disturbing spread of armed groups, such as the reported Lakurawa incursion into parts of Kwara and Kogi, underscores the urgent need for proactive measures.

“If decisive action is not taken, the danger could spill fully into the South-West. We must not allow the region to become a sanctuary for criminality or a battleground for those seeking to destabilise our nation. We must use every resource—human, material, and technological—to defend our communities,” the lawmaker stressed.

He also appealed to the media to support national unity, saying, “We must promote narratives that strengthen unity, inspire confidence, and avoid framing our national challenges along ethnic or religious lines.”

For his part, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, backed plans to strengthen regional coordination and modernise the Amotekun security outfit.

“As governors of this region, we must reaffirm our commitment to a regional security framework, which includes transforming Amotekun into a more unified, well-equipped, technology-driven command capable of facilitating cross-state intelligence sharing and joint operations.

“Our traditional institutions—our Obas and community leaders—must remain central to this framework, as no one understands the heartbeat of local communities better than they do. Security is not just about keeping the peace; it is about ensuring our economic survival.

“When insecurity disrupts markets, farmlands, transportation, and investment, our GDP suffers, livelihoods crumble, and growth stalls. A region that cannot guarantee safety cannot guarantee prosperity. That is why our strategy must be proactive, intelligence-driven, and deeply rooted in community involvement,”Sanwo-Olu said.

Other lawmakers, including Senators Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South) and Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), stressed the need for both conventional and non-conventional strategies to tackle insurgency and banditry.

Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh, told participants that localised challenges require local solutions.

Traditional rulers, represented by the Alara of Ilara in Epe, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, called for more funding, modern equipment, community policing, and expanded recruitment in the security agencies.

He warned that weak grassroots structures continue to undermine progress despite federal-level support.

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, reiterated that establishing state police was crucial to securing communities.

Similarly, civil society groups, youth organisations, and religious leaders also demanded improved welfare for security personnel.

Nigeria has witnessed a surge in violent attacks in recent years, with bandits and insurgents repeatedly targeting worship centres, schools, and rural communities.

Incidents ranging from the abduction of schoolchildren in the North to church attacks in Kwara, Ondo, and Kaduna States, as well as frequent highway kidnappings, have intensified calls for state policing and technology-driven security systems as the country struggles to curb escalating violence.