Tinubu blocked Lagos from joining Amotekun – Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has alleged that Lagos State did not join the South-West security initiative, Amotekun, because of objections linked to President Bola Tinubu, insisting that Nigerians are being misled on the real progress of state policing in the country.

Makinde made the claim on Thursday during a joint mega rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ibadan, where he revisited the long-running debate on state police and regional security frameworks.

He argued that the push for state police has been unnecessarily delayed, despite earlier efforts by South-West governors to establish a decentralised security structure.

“We wanted state police. It was because we couldn’t get the state police that we established Amotekun as a stop-gap,” Makinde said. “They should stop wasting Nigerians’ time.”

According to him, Amotekun was created after it became clear that federal approval for state policing was not forthcoming at the time, forcing states to adopt a regional alternative through their respective Houses of Assembly.

Makinde then made a direct claim regarding Lagos State’s participation in the initiative.

“The only state that didn’t create Amotekun is Lagos State, and we know it is because their boss didn’t want Amotekun,” he said, referring to President Tinubu, who governed Lagos between 1999 and 2007 and remains influential in the state’s political structure.

He maintained that the creation of state police does not require prolonged federal bottlenecks, arguing that if political will exists, states can implement it swiftly.

Makinde also stressed that insecurity remains a core concern for his administration, noting that Amotekun was introduced early in his tenure to support security operations across Oyo State amid growing threats.

His comments come amid heightened security concerns in parts of the state following recent abductions in Oriire Local Government Area, where pupils, students, and teachers were kidnapped in a coordinated attack.