President Bola Tinubu has called on the Senate to initiate amendments to Nigeria’s Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police.
The President made the appeal on Wednesday evening during an interfaith breaking of fast Iftar with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Addressing the lawmakers, Tinubu acknowledged the security challenges confronting his administration, including banditry, terrorism and insurgency, and expressed confidence that the creation of state police could strengthen efforts to address the situation.
“We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency. But we will never fail to make a right response to this cause. What I will ask for tonight is for you senators to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the state police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear.
“I have a lot of credit for bold reforms. Without your collaboration and inspiration, those reforms would not be possible. We are reformists together.
“What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system.
“We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange.
“You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you could see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud, and I am glad you are. What we are enjoying is a stable economy, and prosperity is beckoning us. We need to work hard, and this attendance means a lot to me,” Tinubu told the lawmakers.
The proposal for state police has remained a recurring subject in Nigeria’s constitutional and security reform debates, with proponents arguing that decentralised policing would enhance local intelligence gathering and rapid response to threats.
