Governors Forum Backs State Police

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, February 12th, 2018

Ayo Balogun, Abuja

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Nigerian governors Forum has thrown their weight behind the proposed creation of state police to tackle security challenges across the country.

Chairman of the forum and Zamfara state governor Abdulaziz Yari made this known to Journalists in Abuja at the closing session of two days security summit put together by the Nigerian Senate in Abuja.

According to Governor Yari, the Forum has since approved the decentralised police system but some governors are playing politics with it arguing that they can not fund it.

“We cannot realistically police a country the size of Nigeria centrally from Abuja. State police and other community policing methods are clearly the way to go.”

“There are about four million people in Zamfara and we have fewer than 5,000 policemen. We in governance agree that we can find a way through which we can fine-tune the issue of state police.

“It is something we cannot take off at the same time. We were created differently.” Yari stated

Advocates have argued that state police will address corruption and inefficiency of the Nigerian Police as well as tackle many security challenges facing the country while critics believe governors and other state officials will use it to attack and witch hunt their perceived political opponents in the state.