NORTHERN GOVS BACK STATE POLICE, UNVEIL SECURITY FUND BOARD

Governors of the 19 northern states have thrown their weight behind the establishment of state police, describing it as a necessary step to address the region’s peculiar security challenges.

The governors also unveiled a regional security fund board to coordinate funding and resource mobilisation for security operations across the northern states. The decisions were reached at the end of their meeting in Kaduna on Friday.

Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, said the support for state police is based on the need for localised and more effective security architecture. “The current centralised policing system has not adequately addressed our security challenges. State police will allow for better intelligence gathering and rapid response,” El-Rufai stated.

The governors agreed to work with the National Assembly to ensure the passage of the necessary constitutional amendments to legalise state police.

 They also resolved to establish a security fund that will be jointly funded by the states to support operations, training, and equipment procurement.

The newly unveiled board will be responsible for managing the fund, coordinating security strategies, and ensuring transparency in the utilisation of resources. The governors pledged to contribute a percentage of their monthly allocations to the fund.

The move by the northern governors is expected to add significant momentum to the ongoing debate on state police in the country. While some stakeholders have expressed concerns about potential abuse, the governors believe that strong oversight mechanisms can mitigate such risks.

The Northern Governors’ Forum also used the meeting to review the region’s security situation and agreed on a common strategy to tackle banditry, insurgency, and other forms of criminality.

The development is seen as a major step towards addressing the security crisis in northern Nigeria and could influence the position of other regions on the state police debate. The governors have called on the federal government to support their initiative and work towards a more effective national security framework.