State Police: A Breakthrough Solution for Nigeria’s Security Crisis

ABUJA, (iexclusivenews) – Nigeria’s security situation has been deteriorating for years, with rampant cases of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and communal clashes.

The federal police force has been overwhelmed and underfunded, unable to cope with the diverse and complex security challenges across the country.

Many Nigerians have been calling for the creation of state police, a system where each state of the federation would have its own police force, tailored to its specific security needs and accountable to its governor.

This idea has faced stiff opposition from some quarters, who fear that state police could be abused by political elites or undermine national unity.

However, a major breakthrough was achieved on Thursday, when President Bola Tinubu and the 36 governors agreed on the necessity of creating state police nationwide.

This was the outcome of a crucial meeting held in Abuja, where the leaders discussed the best ways to end the country’s worsening insecurity.

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A Historic Agreement

According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the central government reached an agreement in principle with the governors on the creation of state police.

He said that this was a significant shift from the previous stance of the federal government, which had been reluctant to devolve policing powers to the states.

“Both the federal and state governments agree on the necessity of having state police,” the minister told journalists after the meeting. “Now, this is a significant shift. But as I said, more work needs to be done in that direction.”

The minister stated that the agreement was still at its early stage, and that the government at both national and state levels still needed to work out the modalities of the agreement before implementation.

He said that a lot of meetings would have to happen between the federal government and the sub-nationals to see the modalities of achieving this.

A Long-Awaited Reform

The agreement on state police marks a major milestone in the quest for a more effective and responsive policing system in Nigeria.

For years, many Nigerians have been clamoring for state police, arguing that it would enhance security, accountability, and community policing.

They have also pointed out that state police is in line with the principle of federalism, which gives each state the autonomy to manage its own affairs.

However, the idea of state police has also faced resistance from some quarters, who have raised concerns about the potential risks of state police.

Some have argued that state police could be used by political elites to oppress their opponents or ethnic minorities.

Others have feared that state police could weaken the authority of the federal government or threaten national cohesion.

The agreement on state police shows that the leaders of the country have finally reached a consensus on the need to reform the policing system, and to address the security challenges that have been plaguing the nation.

It also shows that the leaders are willing to listen to the demands of the people, and to find solutions that would benefit the country as a whole.