FG, Governors Consider Creation Of State Police | Insecurity

Bugged by the security challenges in the nation, the Federal Government and state Lead Representatives are considering the creation of state police.

This was part of deliberations between President Bola Tinubu and state Lead Representatives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

Tinubu meeting with state Lead Representatives on Thursday, February 15, 2024.

While briefing journalists after the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made sense of the fact that the process is still in its outset and would just come to fruition after more considerations between stakeholders.

“Now, there is also a discussion around the issue of state police. The Federal Government and the state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police,” he said.

“Of course, this is still going to be further discussed. A lot of work has to be done in that direction. Both the Federal Government and the state governments agree on the necessity of having state police. Now this is a significant shift. But as I said, more work needs to be done in that direction.

“A lot of meetings will have to happen between the Federal Government and the sub-nationals to see the modalities of achieving this. Now, these are some of the issues that have been discussed.”

Governors of Kwara, Imo, Abia and Deputy governors of Oyo and Bauchi states during the meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, February 15, 2024.

Quest For State Police

There have been fuss for state police as Nigeria wrestles with worsening security difficulties such as kidnapping and banditry.

Lead Representatives elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had on Monday restated their position on state policing, as the answer to the nation’s worsening security challenges, bemoaning that Nigeria is “practically making a course for Venezuela”.

Kwara and Imo Lead Representatives at the meeting with President Tinubu on Thursday, February 15, 2024.

Additionally, regional socio-political groups such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Middle Belt Forum, and the Northern Elders’ Forum, have more than once called for state police as answer to the myriad of expanding security challenges defying the nation.

As of now, states in the South-West geopolitical zone have formed the Amotekun while their counterparts in the South-East likewise created state-owned security outfit Ebube Agu. The Benue Guards has likewise been operational in Benue State in the North Central while states like Katsina, Zamfara and other bandit-prone sub-nationals have additionally concocted comparative state-laid out outfits.

Nonetheless, these outfits have not been effective as expected expected as they don’t have the support of the Federal Government while states keep on requesting that Amotekun, Ebube Agu and others are conceded license to bear assault rifles like AK-47 to defy deadly weapon hauling raiders.