Insecurity: Tinubu hints at creation of state police
President Bola Tinubu has hinted that his administration would create a state police to effectively address the security challenges across the country. The President also promised that he will further equip the recently deployed forest guards to enhance security, especially in parts of the North West, including Katsina State where bandits had been attacking citizens. […]
President Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has hinted that his administration would create a state police to effectively address the security challenges across the country.
The President also promised that he will further equip the recently deployed forest guards to enhance security, especially in parts of the North West, including Katsina State where bandits had been attacking citizens.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement issued after President Tinubu met with Katsina elders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, noted that the President, while decrying the politicisation of the proposed state police, said security challenges in some states would require the deployment of outfits that understand the terrain, respect the local culture, and can easily connect at the grassroots.
He said, “The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it.
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“I have today directed all the security agencies to energise further and look at the strategies. We have approved the additional acquisition of drones.”
The President also directed daily feedback on the operations in Katsina.
“I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create a state police. We are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity. We must protect our children, people, livelihood, places of worship, and recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us,” the President added.
The President assured the eminent leaders that former President Muhammadu Buhari would be immortalised to capture his legacy for posterity.
NEC divided on state police
In April, Vice President Kashim Shettima, state governors and some ministers rose from the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting without discussing the issue of State Police.
Answering questions from State House correspondents after the NEC meeting presided over by the Vice President, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri said the issue of state police was not considered due to the many presentations the council had to attend to.
He, however, promised that the issue would be exhaustively deliberated upon in their next meeting.
Asked while none of those who addressed the press spoke about state police, Diri said, “For your information, state police was part of our agenda today, unfortunately because of time demands after a very long meeting. You know we have been here for a very long time, because of the presentations, we were unable to get to that.
“But I can assure you that in our next meeting, that issue will be exhaustively discussed,” he said.
In December, after all the 36 states have submitted their positions on state police, with a majority agreeing on the need for state police to tackle insecurity, the deliberation on the issue was differed.
This is the third time that the issue will be shifted in spite of the prevailing insecurity in the country.
In February this year, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, while briefing State House correspondents after the meeting also said the deliberations had been shifted.
In February last year, the idea of state police was raised after a meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and state governors, following widespread insecurity in many parts of the country.
Addressing State House correspondents 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.