Insecurity: Tinubu, govs agree on state police
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday met with state governors in Abuja during which they considered “the possibility of setting up state police.”
While briefing journalists after the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, explained that the process is still in its infancy and would only take shape after more deliberations between stakeholders.
This was one of the six high points of an emergency meeting summoned by the President at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, in view of economic hardship in the country and upsurge of insecurity in different parts of the country.
The emergency meeting also had in attendance Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Nyesom Wike.
Specifically, President Tinubu approved the establishment of a committee comprising state governors and representatives of the Federal Government to, among other things, explore modalities for establishing state police.
The President and the state governors also discussed the possibility of improving the numerical strength of forest rangers to train them so that they can keep our forests and borders very safe.
The President further endorsed the training and equipping of forest rangers by sub-national governments to safeguard human and natural resources in local communities.
”My position at this meeting is that we must move aggressively and establish a committee to look critically at the issues raised, including the possibility of establishing state police.
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”From Kano, we have read reports about large-scale hoarding of food in some warehouses. The National Security Adviser (NSA), the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services should coordinate very closely and ensure that security agencies in the states inspect such warehouses with follow up action.
”We must ensure that speculators, hoarders, and rent seekers are not allowed to sabotage our efforts in ensuring the wide availability of food to all Nigerians.
Before now, the president had mooted the idea of increasing the numerical strength of the police, which is said to be over 300,000. At the end of the Nigeria Police Council conclave, which Mr Tinubu chaired in October last year, he set up a Constitutional Review Committee to carry out comprehensive police reform.
The 2014 National Political Reform Conference had recommended devolving policing after its painstaking deliberations. This implies allowing states to create their police, in addition to enabling community policing.
However, Former President Goodluck Jonathan who initiated the 2014 conference, and his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, did not implement the recommendations of the report despite the security situation.
Mr Idris, the information minister said, “A lot of meetings will have to happen between the federal government and the subnationals to see the modalities of achieving state policing.”
