President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s determination and resolve to address insecurity head-on—saying the establishment of state police in Nigeria has become inevitable.
The President made this known Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while meeting with prominent citizens from Katsina State led by Governor Dikko Radda. This came after a renewed focus on security in the state following an increase in banditry and violent attacks.
President Tinubu said the federal government is committed to deploying advanced military equipment and surveillance drones to further security operations in Katsina and elsewhere that have experienced those challenges. He noted that the recently introduced forest guards will be further enhanced to improve response to criminal activities.
“The security challenges we face are surmountable,” he said. “We have porous borders and weaknesses that should have been addressed in the past, but it is a challenge that we have to address. I have directed all security agencies to re-energise operations and rethink our tactics. We have also approved the acquisition of more drones. I am looking at all aspects of security. I must create state police; we are looking at this holistically. We will be victorious over insecurity. We need to protect our children, our people, our livelihoods, our places of worship, and our leisure activities. “ They can never intimidate us. ”
The remarks of the President build on earlier moves prepared by his administration regarding the decentralisation of policing. For the first time in February 2024, the federal government set up a committee to look at options for a state police, which was agreed upon by governors and the federal government. With the Vice President Kashim Shettima confirming that all the governors were supportive of the proposal, while reports from states peen awaited.
During the meeting, President Tinubu also fondly remembered former President Muhammadu Buhari, promising he would keep his record. “The time we lost our brother, President Buhari, is a loss for all of us. But he left in a good way. He did not leave a defeated country or a badly beaten political structure, he left a legacy of success. We must continue to pray for him, and we must build on what he left us,” he said.
Governor Radda thanked the President for his continued support, asserting that Federal Government interventions in security and infrastructure will always be felt in Katsina State. “There was never a time I came to Mr President with a request that he turned down. Mr President is a son of katsina. He was the first to come and sleep in Katsina after becoming President, and we will continue to be grateful for it,” he said.
Other political leaders from the state, such as former Governor Aminu Masari, and Wazirin Katsina, Ibrahim Ida, also praised the President for his leadership and urged more Federal attention to security and infrastructure needs of the region.
President Tinubu’s assertion that a state police “must be created”, signals a clear turn in Nigeria’s security reform and reflects on his commitment to localising police structures, to ensure that all citizens are safe across the federation.