A National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the majority of Nigerian governors have endorsed the creation of state police, marking a significant step towards addressing the country's security challenges.
The meeting, held on Thursday, saw 35 out of 36 states submitting their recommendations in favor of this initiative.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, speaking to state house correspondents, emphasized the widespread support for state police.
"Virtually most of the states are in agreement with the establishment of state police in Nigeria," he stated. This consensus reflects the urgent need for localized security solutions tailored to the unique challenges faced by each state.
Despite the strong backing, progress has been stalled due to the Federal Capital Territory Administration's failure to submit its recommendations. Led by Nyesom Wike, this delay has postponed final resolutions until the next NEC meeting scheduled for January 2025.
Governor Sani noted, "The council decided to step down the discussion until the next council meeting because we need to come up with a report from the secretariat."
The push for state police is driven by the recognition of ungoverned spaces and a deficit in security personnel across Nigeria. "We have a lot of ungoverned spaces in Nigeria, and also that we have a lot of deficit in terms of number of boots on ground," Governor Sani explained, highlighting the inadequacies of current national security measures
Comments