I Have to Create State Police to win over insecurity – Tinubu
I Have to Create State Police to win over insecurity – Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has restated his commitment to the establishment of state police as part of efforts to tackle the rising wave of insecurity across the country.
Speaking during a high-level security meeting with governors and heads of security agencies at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, the President said the creation of state police was no longer a matter of debate but a necessity to safeguard lives and property.
Tinubu stressed that the current centralized policing structure had proven inadequate in addressing Nigeria’s diverse security challenges, particularly at the grassroots level.
“We cannot continue to operate in denial. The reality is that I have to create state police to ensure that every community, every ward, and every local government is properly protected. Our people deserve to sleep with their eyes closed,” he declared.
The President also directed the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to work closely with the National Assembly on the legal framework for the initiative.
Tinubu assured Nigerians that the planned reform would not undermine national unity but rather strengthen security architecture by giving states more responsibility in protecting their people.
Several governors at the meeting backed the move, noting that state police would complement federal security agencies and help check banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence.
The push for state police has been a long-standing demand from state governments, civil society groups, and security experts who argue that the current Nigeria Police Force is overstretched and underfunded.
