NewStats: 3,261,661 , 8,174,689 topics. Date: Friday, 30 May 2025 at 01:59 AM 1u225n

The decisions of the remaining 20 state governors on the proposed establishment of state police are expected to be submitted within the next four weeks.

This is according to the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Asishana Okauru, who spoke in an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH on Friday.

Sixteen state governors had earlier thrown their weight behind the establishment of state police as a panacea for the insecurity ravaging the different parts of the country.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nwkocha, had earlier disclosed in a statement that discussions were held at a meeting of the National Economic Council and that 16 out of the 36 states had already submitted their reports on the state policing initiative.

The NEC received the reports from the 16 governors at its 140th meeting held at the Aso Rock Villa on March 21, 2024.

Nwkocha said there was an expectation that the remaining 20 governors, whose identities were not disclosed, would also submit their reports, stressing that all the states across the country expressed their for the establishment of state police.

Okauru explained in a telephone conversation with one of our correspondents that the governors were unanimous in their of the state police.

He added that the remaining 20 governors were already in the process of submitting their reports, and would turn them in a few weeks from now.

According to him, it became clear after the NGF’s last meeting that there was a need for the governors to speed up “whatever report they were putting together in respect of state police and submit it.”

He said, “The official position of the forum is in favour of state police. I don’t know of any state that is not in of state police. I can tell you that I don’t know of any state not in of the idea. That the governors have not submitted their reports for now is not saying they are not in of it (state police).

“They are in the process of submitting their reports and I can tell you that in the next couple of weeks that would have been resolved. This is the only way to go. The forum has come a long way. So, there’s a very strong consensus in of state police.”

Asked if funding would be a major challenge for the state police, the NGF director-general added that the government should begin to think about innovative ways to fund the security architecture of the country.

"Even the way the police structure is configured, funding is still an issue. So, the funding issue will always be there. In some other countries, the police institution is to some extent revenue-generating. You know, it has revenue-generating potential. I mean, if done well, you know that everybody will agree to it. Let’s accept that the funding issue will always be there whether it is done centrally or you are for state police.

"Another point that must be made is that it is not because some states have not submitted their reports that the idea hasn’t taken off. It became very clear after the last meeting that they needed to speed up whatever report they were putting together in respect of state police and submit it. So, a maximum of about four weeks, and it should be done,” he added.

President Bola Tinubu had on Thursday, February 15, 2024, agreed on the need to establish state police as recommended by state governors to curb rising insecurity in the country.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting between the President and the governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the possibility of creating a state police structure will be further discussed.

He further said that a lot of work needed to be done, and the President and the governors agreed on working out the modalities for the idea.

In October 2023, the President mooted the idea of increasing the numerical strength of the police, which is just a little over 300,000.

At the end of the Nigeria Police Council conclave, which Tinubu chaired, he set up a Constitutional Review Committee to carry out comprehensive police reforms.

The 2014 National Political Reform Conference recommended devolving policing by allowing states to create their police and enabling community policing.

However, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who initiated the 2014 conference, and his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, did not implement the recommendations despite the deteriorating security situation in the country during their istrations.

https://punchng.com/state-police-20-governors-decisions-ready-for-nec-may-ngf/?amp

States that are ready should be allowed to go ahead with theirs...we cant allow lazy states take us backwatds.

The body language from the majority of the state governors already indicated that they are not interested in the state policing

State which majority of can't pay wages want to employ police officers

Tinubu should drop this dangerous idea. State police will be used by the State Governors against anyone that disagrees with them politically. That scenario would spell doom for the country's democracy. Furthermore, the usual Nigerian factors like ethnicity will come into play heavily.

Another thing is that most states can barely afford to pay salaries of their civil servants currently. It is highly doubtful that they can train, equip and pay additional thousands of state police personnel. The end result will be chaos and more crimes in most of the country. Please Nigeria is not ripe for this. Apart from the US, most other countries don't even practice such a system.

Before you talk about state police, you must first put in place a system where all the States control their resources and then sends a little thing to the Federal Government rather than the other way round. Just like in the US, and some other countries that practice true federalism.

What we should be talking about now is how the Nigerian Police can improve upon their efforts to put in place community policing.

Lol I hope We won't be seeing hungry Police men wey Neva colet salary for some months ing aggression on the citizens kuz even the Federal own are calamity....

helinues:
The body language from the majority of the state governors already indicated that they are not interested in the state policing

They don't want ro share their security votes

State Police cannot really work in Nigeria with the current structure, the cost of running police is not like running Amotekun, also a lot of states in Nigeria might not be able to run it.

If some states are struggling to pay minimum wage, is it now police that wear uniforms, buy AK-47, pistols, tear gas, bullet proof, bullets, vehicles, emergency control centers and so on that will find it easy to fund the police?

The only way I feel it will work is if states are given full or at least 80 percent control of their resources, that way they will have no excuse to fund the police, however some states(though a few) might still struggle.

But that will make every state more productive because they will stop running to Abuja and they will not be able to any blame to the FG.

The problem now is would the FG and the senate agree for such, because you will be removing the spoon they have been using to feed from their mouth.

That is why I don't believe Tinubu and this present istration is serious about the state police thing, I just believe they are using it to buy time to decieve people that they are doing something to help the insecurity, me personally I feel they know it will not work without doing restructuring which they will not want, so they just want to keep playing the people till their tenure finishes.

State policing is the way to go. You don't expect one Usman Sani from Katsina to come and be policing people in Nnewi. People he doesn't even understand their language.

State police might be a good idea to partly solving the insecurities in most states. A trial is not bad

States that find it difficult to pay salaries of civil servants want to add to their burdens with state policies. Most of these government want state police because they believe that who play the piper dictates the tune.

Opposition are already n trouble in some states

In Nigeria is about news no action, state police has being in the news for over 10 yrs now

I hope they don't turn it to a weapon of tribalism when it is finally implemented

Example : A bunch of police of TRIBE A extorting a group of non indigenes from TRIBE B and telling them, GO BACK TO YOUR STATE IF YOU WANT TO COMPLAIN.

Example: state police hears that there is an attack in a non indigene area and pretending not to know so as to give their own people the upper hand.

Are we really ready for state police?

Bad idea... Governors would turn them into puppets and use them for their selfish political motives. Only power-hungry governors want this.

Nigeria isn't ready for state policing! There are some things that need to remain at the federal level and policing is still one of them.

Eteka1:
Tinubu should drop this dangerous idea

What is dangerous about the idea? To me this is a step that we must take to begin with it,resource control cant just happen.

With state police, it's automatic bye bye to godfatherism

Any sitting gov looking to install a stooge whom he can slap all over the place will just be wasting his time.

May Nigeria win.

tunjijones:
State policing is the way to go. You don't expect one Usman Sani from Katsina to come and be policing people in Nnewi. People he doesn't even understand their language.

You're right, that is how it should be in a sane country but Nigeria.........

It may take the next 20years for this dream to come true with what am seeing 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Mynd44:
State which majority of can't pay wages want to employ police officers

I think a trust fund for policing is the way forward.

And a certain amount of our national revenue should be dedicated to it with the proceeds shared on an agreed formula based on certain needs and peculiarities

Vigilante Rescues Nigeria Police Officer From Kidnappers.
So What Are We Talking About

Kano is not in . Abba Yusuf, the state "sit-in" governor said it. And recently, the state's "invincible governor," Rabiu Kwankwaso yesterday said the security issue is solely rest with the federal government.


https://www.timesng.com/news/more-news/683882-nigerian-military-can-end-security-challenges-kwankwaso.html?fbclid=IwAR1oeEoUxr1ekcuvaHL1RrlKmSLyF-enPlF_THe-QyP8AojjkFSpVJuczMU

We will be able to identify lazy brain dead governors. They are the ones that will reject it.

Lagos will give her police power to issue speeding fine, crossing highwaÿ fine and littering fines. The police can make money out of people without collecting bribe. It will reset people's brains they just prefer the monkey way of thinking. If you know the amount of revenue some police generate for their state in some countries you will cry. The question is are they going to be independent of decision making? Tinubu will give Fulani Herbsmen free will to do whatever they want.

[quote author=tunjijones post=129306499]State policing is the way to go. You don't expect one Usman Sani from Katsina to come and be policing people in Nnewi. People he doesn't even understand their language.[/quote

Then let the majority of officers be posted to their state of origin.

I am afraid state police will increase crime rate. Some of those security agent aid and abate crime.  

Can their salary be paid as and when due.....?

State police is none sense move that won't give any positive result.





Regional police is the way

Not what we need!
A return to regionalism is the answer.

[quote author=tunjijones post=129306499]State policing is the way to go. You don't expect one Usman Sani from Katsina to come and be policing people in Nnewi. People he doesn't even understand their language.[/quote

Then let the majority of officers be posted to their state of origin.

I am afraid state police will increase crime rate. Some of those security agent aid and abate crime.

Can their salary be paid as and when due.....?

helinues:
The body language from the majority of the state governors already indicated that they are not interested in the state policing

It seems they don't want to owe armed men salary.

They should just do massive recruitment for a specialized branch of the Nigerian Police or Civil Defense.

Even the way the police structure is configured, funding is still an issue. So, the funding issue will always be there. In some other countries, the police institution is to some extent revenue-generating. You know, it has revenue-generating potential. I mean, if done well, you know that everybody will agree to it. Let’s accept that the funding issue will always be there whether it is done centrally or you are for state police.

It might have bribery and corruption issues from day one.

Brendaniel:
State Police cannot really work in Nigeria with the current structure, the cost of running police is not like running Amotekun, also a lot of states in Nigeria might not be able to run it.

If some states are struggling to pay minimum wage, is it now police that wear uniforms, buy AK-47, pistols, tear gas, bullet proof, bullets, vehicles, emergency control centers and so on that will find it easy to fund the police?

The only way I feel it will work is if states are given full or at least 80 percent control of their resources, that way they will have no excuse to fund the police, however some states(though a few) might still struggle.

But that will make every state more productive because they will stop running to Abuja and they will not be able to any blame to the FG.

The problem now is would the FG and the senate agree for such, because you will be removing the spoon they have been using to feed from their mouth.

That is why I don't believe Tinubu and this present istration is serious about the state police thing, I just believe they are using it to buy time to decieve people that they are doing something to help the insecurity, me personally I feel they know it will not work without doing restructuring which they will not want, so they just want to keep playing the people till their tenure finishes.

Amotekun in all SW states is a big evidence that state police can and will work. You know Aketi was clamoring for firearms but buhari didn't approve. The structure is almost on ground in the SW. They only need to upgrade the existing structure, provide better training, provide modern gadgets, Arms and technology and recruit more operatives. If some states have been paying salaries for Amotekun, all states can afford to finance the state police by cutting excessive spending. Security must be their number one priority