The National Economic Council, NEC, will in January 2025 take a decision on the establishment of state police in the country. This is coming on the heels of the submissions made by the 36 States of the Federation on the contentious matter.
However, reports reveal that only the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja is yet to present its position.
The position of the NEC was disclosed by the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, during a briefing after the NEC meeting. The meeting was presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Sani informed that as a result of the delay by the FCT, the Council opted to defer deliberations until its next meeting.
He said, “Today, one of the discussions we had at the NEC meeting was the update on the creation of state police.”
The Governor, however, revealed that 36 States have submitted their positions on creation of state police.
Sani noted that most States expressed support for the initiative due to ongoing security challenges in their areas.
“From what is available, virtually all the States are in agreement with the establishment of state police in Nigeria. However, the Council decided to step down the discussion until the next meeting. This is to allow the secretariat to finalize its report,” the Governor explained.
“A comprehensive report from the NEC secretariat would be presented at the January meeting. It would be followed by further deliberations and stakeholder engagements,” he added.
The Governor underscored the widespread consensus on the need for state police as a solution to Nigeria’s security challenges. He also highlighted the peculiar security issues in various States and the gaps in existing federal security structures.
He said, “Virtually every State has its peculiar challenges when it comes to insecurity.”
“We have a lot of ungoverned spaces and a significant deficit in security personnel, whether in the police, army, or other agencies. This is why many of us agree that establishing state police is the way forward to address these problems.”
Sani, therefore, emphasized the urgent need for localized security forces to complement existing national efforts.
This, he said is in light of the insufficient manpower to secure all areas of the country effectively.
“The NEC’s decision in January is expected to determine the next steps for the implementation of state police. This will form part of a broader strategy to enhance security across Nigeria,” he said.
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