Sixteen state governors have expressed their backing for the establishment of state police, calling for constitutional changes to enable its formation. They submitted their recommendations to the National Economic Council (NEC) during its 140th meeting, presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Stanley Nkwocha, the Special Adviser to the Vice President on Media and Communications, shared this information in a statement titled “NEC endorses implementation of $617M i-DICE program across states.”
According to the statement, while 16 states have already submitted reports supporting the creation of state police, NEC is still awaiting reports from 20 other states. However, the council expressed optimism that more states would join in supporting the initiative.
The National Economic Council, established by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, consists of 36 state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank, and other co-opted government officials. It convenes monthly to advise the President on economic matters and coordinate economic planning efforts across the country.
Nkwocha explained that Mr Nebeolisa Anako, the Secretary to NEC, presented an overview of the states’ submissions regarding the state policing proposal. He highlighted that the states were pushing for constitutional amendments and changes to the current policing structure to enable the implementation of the initiative.
Although specific details about the supporting states were not provided, Nkwocha assured that the complete list would be presented at the next NEC meeting as the compilation process continues.
The move to establish not another Nigeria Police Force, NPF, but state policing that should come amid escalating security challenges in Nigeria, including abductions, bandit attacks, and other violent crimes. The recent surge in attacks underscores the urgent need for a multi-tiered policing system, including state police, to effectively address the country’s security crisis.
In a related development, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum stressed the inclusion of state policing as a critical amendment in the ongoing 1999 Constitutional Amendment process to rectify fundamental flaws in the national security framework.
The debate on state police creation revolves around decentralizing law enforcement to bring it closer to communities, thereby enhancing effectiveness and local control over security matters. However, opponents of the initiative remain concerned about potential abuse of power and aggravation of regional tensions.