The federal government should stop misleading Nigerians about state police, says Makinde.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has called on the Federal Government to end what he calls “deceiving Nigerians” about the proposed creation of state police forces, arguing that the ongoing debate is a waste of national time.

Makinde made the statement on Friday during a joint mega rally of the Peoples Democratic Party and the APM in Ibadan, where he also revisited earlier efforts by South‑West governors to establish a decentralised policing structure.

“We wanted state police. It was because we couldn’t get the state police that we established Amotekun as a stop‑gap,” the governor said.

“They should stop wasting Nigerians’ time.”

He recalled that South‑West states had initially pushed for the creation of state police but later settled for the regional security outfit, Amotekun, in 2020 after the proposal failed to move forward at the federal level.

Makinde argued that states do not need to wait for federal approval or police hierarchy before acting, citing how South‑West governors coordinated their Houses of Assembly to legalise Amotekun across participating states.

He noted that Lagos State did not join the initiative, claiming the decision was influenced by opposition from President Bola Tinubu, who was a major political figure in the state at the time.

“The only state that didn’t create Amotekun is Lagos State, and we know it is because their boss didn’t want Amotekun,” Makinde said.

The governor maintained that with political will, state policing could be operational within a short period, adding that insecurity remains a major concern that requires urgent decentralised intervention.

The post FG should stop deceiving Nigerians on state police — Makinde appeared first on Vanguard News.