Tinubu, State Governors Agree On Establishment of State Police to Curb Insecurity

Federal and State Governors have agreed to establish the state police force in the country, to beef up security.

Also, they agreed to increase the numerical strength of the forest rangers to effectively secure forests nationwide, from criminal elements.

The decisions were taken on Wednesday at a meeting between President Tinubu and state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Information Minister, Idris Mohammed announced this to the state house correspondents at the end of the meeting.

The Minister said more meetings would still be held, to fine-tune the modality for the establishment of the proposed state police system.

The President and the state governors also discussed the possibility of improving the numerical strength of forest rangers to train them so that they can keep our forests and borders very safe.

Following a spike in insecurity across the country, there have been calls by some stakeholders and ethnic nationalities groups for the establishment of state police as was practiced in the First Republic before it was abolished by the Military.

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Currently, many states have vigilante groups, and the South-West zone has Amotekun The President also directed security chiefs especially the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Director-General of the Department of State Service, DSS, Yusuf Bichi; and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to crack down on those hoarding food commodities and bring them to book.

It will be recalled that since President Tinubu’s May 29 “subsidy is gone” inauguration speech, the economy has witnessed a downward spiral with the attendant hardship and high cost of living leading to protests in some states of the country.

Although President Tinubu has directed his economic team, including all relevant officials in the government to find a way to ameliorate the situation, the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency has been approved to make available about 102,000 metric tons of assorted items including rice, maize, millet among others.

Governors who attended the meeting were those of Ekiti, Delta, Borno, Lagos, Kwara, Nasarawa, Edo, Yobe, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Sokoto, Niger, Taraba, Adamawa, Cross River, Ogun and Enugu.

President Tinubu also informed the governors that the Federal Government would work with them and the National Assembly towards putting in place a mechanism that will engender state police instead of the vigilantes that are being used in some states.

He charged the governors to pay attention to livestock development in their states and increase production most especially poultry and fishing products.

The president also pleaded with Governors to ensure all salary arrears to workers and gratuities to retired workers and pensioners are cleared as a way to put money into the hands of the people since states are now getting more monthly FAAC revenue.

They also urged the governors to create economic opportunities for youths in their states. He urged the governors to deal with the problems of hoarding in their states.

Tinubu’s position on state police, food security Addressing the meeting, President Tinubu said: My position at this meeting is that we must move aggressively and establish a committee to look critically at the issues raised, including the possibility of establishing state police.