Ogun State is prepared to implement state policing in order to enhance safety and protect ongoing commercial investments, Governor Dapo Abiodun has announced.
Speaking at a town hall meeting held at the Akarigbo Palace in Sagamu, the governor stated that the expansion of business activities across the state demands a stronger security structure. Abiodun, who heads the Nigeria Governors' Forum Committee on State Police, affirmed that the state is set to embrace the decentralized policing model, according to Punch.
The governor explained that his administration has consistently supported local security networks with operational patrol vehicles, welfare allowances, and field equipment. He revealed that the Ogun State Security Network, known as Amotekun, alongside the So-Safe Corps, now commands a collective operational force of about 6,000 officers following sustained recruitment drives.
Alongside security plans, Abiodun disclosed the immediate rollout of a social investment cash transfer scheme aimed at supporting vulnerable residents facing high food and transport costs. He attributed part of the current economic hardship to global oil and gas supply chain disruptions linked to the conflict involving Israel, America, and Iran.
The governor confirmed that the cash distribution would begin in Sagamu and Ogijo before reaching other towns in Remoland and expanding across the entire state. Beneficiaries already listed in the state government's social register are scheduled to receive direct bank payment alerts.
The state government also unveiled infrastructure plans to drill water boreholes in each of the 236 wards, alongside the installation of electricity transformers and solar street illumination.
During the event, the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Adviser, Dapo Okubadejo, reviewed the state's recent financial records. He reported an expenditure of N490 billion against the N703 billion budget in 2024, and N700 billion out of the N1.05 trillion budget in 2025, adding that the N1.67 trillion budget for 2026 continues to fund major public projects as consultations for the 2027 fiscal year begin.
