JUST IN: Tinubu, Govs Agree To Set Up State Police

In a landmark decision, President Bola Tinubu and governors of the 36 states have agreed to explore the establishment of state police forces to tackle the worsening security situation in the country.

The announcement came on Thursday after a meeting at the State House in Abuja, where food security and insecurity were the key topics of discussion.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris Malagi, briefed journalists after the meeting, revealing a significant shift in stance on the controversial issue of state police.

While details remain to be ironed out, both the federal government and state governors acknowledge the necessity of state police to effectively address the growing security challenges, said Malagi.

“Now this is a significant shift, but like I said, more work needs to be done,” Malagi stated, adding there was the need for further discussions and collaboration between the federal and state governments to determine the modalities for implementing state police.

“Of course, this is still going to be further discussed (because) a lot of work has to be done in that direction, but both the Federal Government and the state governments agreed to the necessity of having state police,” the information minister said, adding “A lot of meetings would have to happen between the Federal Government and the sub-nationals to see the modalities of achieving this.”

The decision comes amidst heightened concerns about the country’s security situation, with kidnappings, banditry, and communal clashes becoming increasingly frequent.

It follows decades of debate surrounding the potential benefits and drawbacks of state police which some proponents have argued would allow for localised responses to specific security challenges, while others have raised concerns about potential abuse of power and lack of accountability.

THE WHISTLER reports that the agreement on state police coincides with another significant development – a push for a transition to a parliamentary system of government.

A group of over 60 House of Representatives members, known as the Parliamentary Group, proposed some bills on Wednesday seeking a shift from the current presidential system by 2031.

The lawmakers cited frustrations with the high cost of the presidential system and the excessive power vested in the president as key motivations for their initiative.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu is scheduled to depart Nigeria today to attend the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where leaders will discuss continental challenges and interventions in member countries.