President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the Senate to begin the process of amending the Constitution to allow for the creation of state police as part of efforts to address insecurity across the country.
The President made the appeal on Wednesday during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said Nigeria’s security challenges including terrorism, banditry and insurgency require a new approach that would enable states to play a stronger role in policing. According to him, establishing state police would improve grassroots security and allow quicker responses to threats within local communities.
We are facing terrorism, banditry and insurgency, the President said. We must think about how best to amend the Constitution to incorporate state police so we can better secure our country.
Tinubu noted that decentralised policing would complement federal security agencies and strengthen intelligence gathering at the community level. He urged lawmakers to work with the executive to make the necessary constitutional changes.
The President also commended the cordial relationship between the executive and the Senate, describing cooperation between both arms of government as essential to tackling insecurity and sustaining reforms.
He thanked senators for supporting key economic policies of his administration, including the removal of fuel subsidy and tax reforms. He said the measures were aimed at blocking waste and increasing government revenue for development.
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio appreciated the President for hosting the interfaith gathering. He said the administration’s policies had increased revenue available to states for infrastructure and other projects, and he offered prayers for the country’s peace and progress.
The event formed part of ongoing engagements between the executive and the legislature on national issues.