President Bola Tinubu and State Governors have reportedly agreed on the creation state police to tackle the issue of rising insecurity in the country
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this, on Thursday, while briefing State House correspondents at the end of an emergency meeting summoned by the President at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Idris noted that there will be a series of meetings to make adjustments to the modalities for setting up state police.
The Minister said: “But now, there is also a discussion around the issue of state police. The federal government and state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police.
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“Of course, this is still going to be further discussed, a lot of work still has to be done in that direction. But the federal government and state governments are agreeing to the necessity of having state policy.
“Now, this is a significant shift. But like I said, more work needs to be done in that direction. A lot of meetings will have to happen between different governments and sub nationals to see the modalities of achieving this.”
The call for the setting up of a state police has been on for years, following the inability of the Federal Government to address the rising insecurity in the country.
Past Presidents have ignored the call for the State Police with some experts noting that the Federal Government may be afraid of losing the privileges of having the Police under its country.
Others have averred that the Federal Government was simply skeptical of the ability of the State Governors to handle the Police well, fund it and not abuse it.
It is believed, however, that Tinubu’s strong intention to allow the establishment of the State Police may not be unconnected with his alleged inability to flush out the criminals making life hellish for Nigerians in different parts of the country.