Former United States Police officer and Army veteran, Abiodun Ramon Oseni, has stressed the need for the decentralisation of policing powers in Nigeria to states and local councils to improve responsiveness to local security challenges.
 
He identified this as a key step which Nigeria must go through in a bid to combat the banditry and large-scale insecurity besetting it.
 
Oseni made these observations shortly after his recognition with the Outstanding Security Personality Award at the 2026 edition of the Nigeria Safety and Security (NSAS) Awards.
 
The U.S. army veteran noted that with state and local council police in place, community policing initiatives will be promoted, fostering collaboration between security agencies and local communities and enhancing intelligence gathering and trust.
 
He maintained that state and local council policing will almost always nip crimes in the bud while greatly improving response time to incidences of crime and insecurity when they occur.
 
Oseni also said that as a long-term plan, governments at all levels must begin to address some of the root causes of banditry and insecurity in society, such as poverty, unemployment and lack of education.

He stressed that if genuine and proper economic development programmes are initiated across board, they will reduce incentives for criminal activities.
 
“Stopping banditry and insecurity in Nigeria requires a holistic approach, combining community involvement, coordinated security efforts, addressing socio-economic factors and strict enforcement of criminal laws. This approach must be supported by legal provisions that empower security agencies and hold offenders accountable,” he said.
 
Oseni maintained that existing criminal laws must also be enforced with stringent penalties for violent crimes such as banditry and kidnapping.
 
Speaking on his award, Oseni, who is also a Fellow of the Institute of Security Nigeria, said the latest recognition of his selfless initiatives, advocacies and efforts in the nation’s security space will “further encourage him to do more for the fatherland.”
 
Convener of NSAS Awards, Dr. Chinyere Amaechi, said the essence of the awards was to honour outstanding contributions to health, safety, security and the environment (HSSE) by professionals, corporate organisations and government agencies.
 
Other awardees at the event included the President, Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), Dr. Steve Udezi, Ogbonna Ewim, Sony Ali, Tokunbo Ogunyemi, Mrs. Oreoluwa Lesi, among others.