The late former Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, may no longer be alive, but his advocacy for State Police and a decentralised security architecture continues to influence Nigeria’s national conversation on security, federalism and governance.
At a colloquium in Ibadan to commemorate what would have been his 70th birthday, political leaders, associates and family members gathered to reflect on the life, convictions and enduring contributions of a man whose insistence on local participation in security management helped shape the establishment of the South-West Security Network, Amotekun Corps.
The event, themed “Fundamentals and Governance of State Policing: Towards a New Architecture for National Security in Nigeria,” provided a platform for renewed calls for comprehensive security reforms and a recognition of Akeredolu’s role in advancing the argument for State Police.
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who fondly referred to the late governor as “My Oga,” described him as a selfless public servant whose ideas had moved beyond regional advocacy to become a central part of Nigeria’s national policy and constitutional discourse.
According to Aiyedatiwa, Akeredolu’s greatness was defined not merely by the length of his life but by the courage with which he pursued his convictions, the consequences of his decisions and the lasting value of the causes he championed.
He recalled Akeredolu’s distinguished service as Attorney-General of Ondo State, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Governor of Ondo State, Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum and Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
The governor said Akeredolu combined intellectual rigour, legal scholarship, courage and a commitment to justice, stressing that his advocacy for true federalism was neither rhetorical nor cosmetic.
For Aiyedatiwa, one of the clearest demonstrations of this conviction was the establishment of Amotekun by South-West governors at a time when insecurity was testing public confidence in the country’s security institutions.
Rather than merely complain about the limitations of the existing security structure, Akeredolu and his colleagues pursued a regional response that recognised the importance of local knowledge, community participation and rapid intervention in confronting threats to lives and property.
The Ondo governor cited a recent operation in which the state’s Amotekun Corps worked alongside the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to confront suspected terrorists identified as ISWAP operatives in the state’s forests.
He said the operation reinforced the argument that an effective security system must incorporate the knowledge and participation of people who understand the communities they are charged with protecting.
According to him, the group had initially emerged amid farmer-herder tensions before evolving into a terrorist organisation that terrorised residents, particularly in farmsteads, but had now been dislodged from Ondo State.
Aiyedatiwa maintained that the operation demonstrated the relevance of a decentralised security structure and strengthened the case for State Police, an idea he said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had shown commitment to advancing from public debate to institutional reform.
However, he cautioned that establishing State Police must go beyond creating new institutions, insisting that the proposed system must be built on credible recruitment, thorough vetting, professionalism, accountability and public trust.
For the governor, the most fitting tribute to Akeredolu would not be monuments, ceremonies or glowing speeches but a Nigeria that is safer, more federal, more just and more responsive to its citizens.
He envisioned a security architecture in which communities would participate meaningfully in their protection, intelligence would be gathered before threats escalated into disasters, and policing would be measured not only by the authority of the state but also by the confidence of the people.
Aiyedatiwa also pledged to sustain Akeredolu’s legacy through practical governance, particularly by completing projects initiated by his predecessor.
He said several road projects discussed during Akeredolu’s Executive Council meetings had continued under his administration, noting that the late governor worked with the understanding that whoever succeeded him would complete projects he could not finish.
The governor described his commitment to the former governor’s legacy as more than a matter of words, saying his administration had continued to advance the vision Akeredolu left behind.
Beyond the tributes, the colloquium brought renewed attention to the scale of Nigeria’s policing challenges and the reforms required to address them.
In his keynote address, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said Nigeria required an additional 554,353 police personnel to meet the United Nations-recommended police-to-citizen ratio.
The figure, he argued, underscored the need for a comprehensive approach to policing that would make State Police effective, sustainable and responsive to the country’s security needs.
Abiodun, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Committee on State Police, said the gathering should not be limited to mourning a departed leader or celebrating his achievements but should serve as an opportunity to confront the reforms necessary to strengthen security and governance.
He explained that Akeredolu’s vision extended beyond security hardware, as the late governor understood the relationship between peace, security and economic development.
According to Abiodun, Akeredolu’s role in laying the groundwork for the South-West Development Commission reflected his belief that a secure region was better positioned to prosper.
“A secure region is a prosperous region,” he said, describing Amotekun as evidence of the value of community intelligence and rapid response in tackling insecurity.
The Ogun governor argued that the experience of the South-West had strengthened the case for decentralised policing, adding that the idea championed by Akeredolu had gained broader national acceptance.
He maintained that the six geopolitical zones had increasingly recognised the limitations of a security structure in which policing authority is largely concentrated at the centre.
Abiodun’s remarks reinforced the central message of the colloquium: that Akeredolu’s advocacy was no longer merely a regional political position but part of a wider national debate about how Nigeria should organise its security institutions.
Former Ekiti State Governor and former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, offered a personal reflection on Akeredolu’s character, describing him as an irreplaceable defender of the defenceless and a courageous voice who consistently spoke truth to power.
Fayemi portrayed the late governor as a man of many parts, capable of engaging the elite and ordinary citizens with equal ease while combining seriousness of purpose with a playful and entertaining personality.
He recalled Akeredolu’s participation in choir activities, his appearance at a Kegite shrine and his ability to entertain people through music and humour.
Fayemi also remembered the late governor dancing to Fela and Femi Kuti’s “Water No Get Enemy” and songs by Orlando Owo, illustrations of a personality that extended beyond the courtroom and the political arena.
But beneath that lively disposition, Fayemi said, was an ideology rooted in the common good and the desire to bring joy to the greatest number of people.
He also recalled Akeredolu’s role in the Southern Governors’ Forum, where he insisted that the presidency should rotate to the South despite political party interests.
For Fayemi, such positions demonstrated that Akeredolu’s political decisions were guided by conviction rather than bitterness or narrow partisan considerations.
He said the former governor remained committed to building a prosperous, united, safe and secure Nigeria, even when his positions placed him at odds with powerful interests.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also paid tribute to Akeredolu, describing him as a steadfast and courageous voice for the interests, dignity and security of the South-West.
Represented by the Lagos State Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Salu Hundeyin, Sanwo-Olu said Akeredolu understood leadership as a responsibility rather than a privilege and demonstrated courage in confronting challenges affecting his people.
He urged Nigerians to draw inspiration from the late governor’s convictions and leadership example.
“Aketi may no longer be with us, but his example remains. His voice may have fallen, but the cause for which he stood continues to speak,” he said.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Habibat Omolara Adubiaro, similarly described Akeredolu as a courageous leader whose determination in confronting insecurity contributed significantly to the establishment of Amotekun.
Oyebanji recalled how Akeredolu worked with other South-West governors across party lines to respond to insecurity, despite opposition from the Federal Government at the time.
He called on governors in the region to deepen regional integration and urged the South-West Development Commission to pursue ambitious projects capable of transforming the region rather than restricting its interventions to token initiatives.
The Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission, Dr Seye Oyeleye, also stressed the importance of decentralised policing, arguing that Nigeria could no longer rely solely on a single police force controlled from Abuja.
He said the existing arrangement was inadequate for a country of Nigeria’s population and maintained that Amotekun had demonstrated the potential of state and regional security initiatives.
His position echoed a recurring theme at the event: that local security structures, when properly coordinated and regulated, could complement national policing institutions and improve responses to threats within communities.
For Akeredolu’s family, the colloquium was also an opportunity to remember the personal sacrifices and struggles that shaped the late governor’s public life.
His first son, Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu Junior, described his father as a courageous advocate of justice, human rights, political freedom and accountable government.
He recalled Akeredolu’s student activism, legal career, involvement in the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate, participation in the 2012 fuel-price protest and sustained campaign against insecurity.
These experiences, he suggested, reflected a consistent commitment to challenging injustice and defending principles, even when doing so carried political or personal consequences.
Akeredolu’s public life was therefore remembered not only through the offices he occupied but also through the causes he pursued and the controversies he was willing to confront.
From the legal profession to the political arena, his supporters said, he remained a figure associated with forthrightness, regional cooperation and the pursuit of a more accountable system of government.
The Ibadan colloquium ultimately placed a responsibility before Nigeria’s political leadership: to translate Akeredolu’s ideas into reforms capable of improving the security and welfare of citizens.
The debate over State Police raises fundamental questions about recruitment, training, funding, operational independence, accountability and safeguards against political interference. These are issues that must be addressed if decentralised policing is to enjoy public confidence and operate effectively across the federation.
Aiyedatiwa’s call for credible recruitment and professional standards, Abiodun’s emphasis on the country’s policing deficit, and the contributions of other speakers reflected a shared recognition that creating State Police alone would not automatically resolve Nigeria’s security challenges.
The proposed system would require clear constitutional and legal frameworks, effective oversight, cooperation between federal and state institutions, and protections against the abuse of policing powers.
These considerations are particularly important in a country where security threats vary across regions and where citizens expect law enforcement agencies to operate impartially and within the law.
Akeredolu’s advocacy for a new security architecture was rooted in the belief that those closest to the people should have a meaningful role in protecting them. The challenge now is to ensure that such participation is matched by professionalism, accountability and respect for fundamental rights.
For Aiyedatiwa, the enduring tribute to his former principal would be a country in which citizens feel safe in their homes, on their farms, on the roads and in their communities.
As tributes to the late governor continue, his legacy will ultimately be measured not only by the speeches delivered in his honour but also by the extent to which his ideas influence policies, institutions and the everyday lives of Nigerians.
The message from Ibadan was clear: Akeredolu’s voice may have fallen silent, but the debate he helped advance over State Police, true federalism and community security remains alive.
And for those who gathered to celebrate his 70th birthday, preserving his legacy means turning the convictions for which he stood into lasting reforms for a safer, fairer and more responsive Nigeria.
