The head of Lagos’s community security agency has said the state is well prepared for the possible creation of a state police force, arguing that its existing grassroots security structure could quickly evolve into a full policing institution if the law allows it.
Ifalade Oyekan, general manager of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency, said the state’s security architecture had already been restructured to meet the demands of modern policing.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, Oyekan said the agency — often cited as one of Nigeria’s earliest community policing models — was strategically designed to transition into a state-level security force once the legal framework for state police is enacted.
“The LNSA has undergone significant restructuring and re-engineering to align with modern safety and security demands, adopting a proactive, technology-backed and intelligence-driven model across the state,” he said.
“We are not designed to merely react to incidents. Our corps officers are trained to anticipate, prevent and mitigate security threats before they occur.”
The debate over state policing has intensified across Nigeria amid rising insecurity and calls for greater decentralisation of law enforcement powers from the federal government.
Oyekan, recently reappointed for a second five-year term by the Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the agency would continue to strengthen neighbourhood-based security systems under the state administration.
He said the government intended to further develop the agency and its corps arm into what he described as a modern and responsive safety institution capable of supporting the vision of a safer Lagos.
According to him, the state’s current community safety model already reflects many of the operational principles expected of a future state police structure, particularly its emphasis on intelligence gathering and local engagement.
