President Bola Tinubu has said the creation of a decentralised police force in Nigeria is now “inevitable,” as the federal government intensifies efforts to combat worsening insecurity.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while receiving a delegation of prominent citizens from Katsina State led by Governor Dikko Radda, Tinubu directed security agencies to review their operations in the state following a surge in banditry.
The president announced plans to deploy advanced military hardware, surveillance drones, and additional forest guards to strengthen security. “The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable,” he said. “Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it.”
Tinubu added that he had ordered all security agencies to provide daily feedback from operations in Katsina. “I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create state police. We are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity. We must protect our children, our people, our livelihood, our places of worship, and our recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us,” he said.
The call for state policing comes after the federal government, in February 2024, set up a committee to explore modalities for its creation. Information Minister Mohammed Idris confirmed at the time that Tinubu and state governors had agreed on the framework, while Vice-President Kashim Shettima disclosed in March that 20 states were yet to submit reports on the plan despite unanimous support in principle.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Tinubu also paid tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari, assuring the delegation that his legacy would be preserved. “He didn’t hand over a defeated country, a battered political structure, but a legacy of success, and that is the most important thing,” Tinubu said.
Governor Radda thanked the president for his continued support, describing him as “a true son of Katsina State.” Former governor Aminu Masari praised Tinubu for honouring Buhari with what he called a “true state funeral,” while elder statesman Ibrahim Ida urged the federal government to prioritise southern Katsina’s security and upgrade the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport.
