Governors across the states of the federation are awaiting the federal government’s modalities for the establishment of state police before they can swing into action.
At the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) last December, the federal government and governors of the 36 states in the country agreed to finalise discussions on the creation of state police at their next meeting scheduled for January 31, 2025.
At the December parley, the council presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima received written positions on the matter from all the 36 states, with majority of them backing the state police.
However, the January meeting was not held as governors under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were unable to attend because they had an emergency meeting in Delta State.
When LEADERSHIP Sunday contacted some of the governors on the matter, they linked the apparent inertia to the federal government’s non-release of the modalities for creating state police after they had presented their documents to the NEC.
RELATED: Insecurity: We’re Ready For State Police – Governors
They also explained that before state policing can take off, there must be national and sub-national legislation to ensure hitch-free operations.
Pending when the national document on state policing will be released, the governors said they would strengthen the synergy between federal security agencies and their state-owned security outfits.
In the wake of worsening security challenges in the country, some governors set up security organisations and equipped them to complement the police and sister agencies to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other vices.
In Gombe State, Governor Inuwa Yahaya launched “Operation Hattara”, which comprises members of the state government vigilante group called GOSTEC, Kaduna State set up the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVS), Katsina State (Community Watch Corp (CWC) and Enugu State came up with the Neighbourhood Watch Group.
In Akwa Ibom State, the government launched Ibom Community Watch (ICW) for intelligence work without bearing arms; Borno State operates Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and in April 2024, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State unveiled the Metropolitan Quick Response security outfit to work in partnership with the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Abia State joined the train with “Operation Crush”, Kebbi State kicked off Vigilantes Group of Nigeria (VGN) while Cross River State recently launched “Operation Okwork” comprising mainly personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
Plateau State has “Operation Rainbow”, which is coordinated by a retired Brigadier-General of the Nigerian Army, Ebonyi State operates Neighbourhood Watch while the South West states of Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ogun have Amotekun Corps.
Responding to our correspondent’s enquiries on state police, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule said he welcomed the initiative because it has the potential to effectively combat the current security challenges in the state.
Through his special assistant on public affairs, Mr. Peter Ahemba, the governor said his administration can effectively handle the operations of a state police if put in place.
He said state police would benefit both the state government and the people as the officers would know the state and its terrain better.
Ahemba said, “Some of the issues triggering security challenges are local, state police personnel will better respond swiftly to such issues since the personnel will know the terrain better.
“The state government awaits enabling legislation from both the national and state assemblies to enable the state take the necessary steps in this direction,” he stated.
The Osun State government has also expressed its commitment to the take-off of state police once the federal government spells out the formalities.
The spokesperson to the governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, told LEADERSHIP Sunday in Osogbo that the state government is concerned about the security of the people and would be ready to key into the take-off of state police.
Meanwhile, the commandant of the regional security outfit Amotekun Corps in the state, Dr Adekunle Omoyele, has said the state government was committed to effective operations of the outfit with the provision of the required logistics.
Omoyele, who spoke on the reforms introduced into the operation of Amotekun in Osun, stated that additional 1,150 personnel were recruited, trained and inaugurated on Friday, March 28, 2025.
In Zamfara State, the government said it is yet to implement state police as the federal government has not released the blueprint for the proposed policing system.
In its absence, the state government said it would continue with its security outfit Community Protection Guards (CPG).
The director-general on media and communications, Nuhu Salihu Anka, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the state was aware of the federal government’s plan to allow state police, adding that the state is waiting for Abuja to finalise the template.
According to him, the state government is currently focusing on the security outfit Community Protection Guards (CPG) recently launched to curtail security challenges in the state.
The commissioner for internal security, Dr. Mua’zu Danmusa, did not respond to messages sent to his mobile phone.
Similarly, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has said the state remains one of the promoters of the state in the country and has not changed.
Aiyedatiwa who said the state already had a template with Amotekun, noted that the state was ready for the implementation of state police whenever the federal government gives its nod.
His chief press secretary, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, told our correspondent that the governor had promised to continue to strengthen Amotekun and ensure partnership with other security agencies to secure the state until the federal government approves state police.
His words, “Ondo is one of the promoters of state police and that still remains. We already have the template with Amotekun and the state is ready for implementation whenever the federal government gives the nod.
“In the meantime, we will continue to strengthen our Amotekun and ensure partnership with other security agencies to secure the life and property of our people,” he said.
Also, the Commander of the State Security Network Agency( Amotekun) Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the operatives of the corps have continued to work relentlessly to ensure the safety of life and property of the residents of the state .
Adeleye, who said the breaches at the borders of the state had reduced as a result of the activities of the Amotekun Rangers, noted that his men were able to arrest 32 suspects for kidnapping in the last one week in the state.
Apart from the arrest, the Amotekun boss hinted that the corps were able to intervene in about 15 kidnap issues and that the timely intervention foiled the kidnapping.
According to him, “In recent times, we have an upsurge of criminal activities including kidnapping inclusive in the state. The officers and men of the Ondo State security network mobilized additional support from the neighbouring local government and entered into the forest reserves and areas noted for these nefarious activities. We were able to flush them out and arrested over 32 suspects.”
Adetunji, however, urged the residents of the state to always give the security agencies timely and actionable information once any suspicious movement is noticed.
The Anambra State government says it still believes that the creation of state police will help to tackle the security challenges in Nigeria.
The commissioner for information, Dr. Law Mefor, however, said the state government’s ad-hoc security arrangement “Operation Udo Ga Achi” and “Agunechemba” operatives had been helpful in the fight against insecurity in the state.
Mefor said, “The state government certainly favours the creation of state police in line with the position of most states in Nigeria.
“The Solution Government believes state police will go a long way in dealing with insecurity in Nigeria because security is local.
“The new Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2024, which created Agunechemba and led to the launch of “Operation Udo Ga-Achi” strike force, has provided a robust legal framework for a new security intervention in the state.
“Both ‘Agunechemba’ and ‘Operation Udo Ga-Achi’ are doing fantastically well and this is evident in the fact that Anambra is calming down.
“Insecurity is Anambra is drastically deescalating and fake and evil native doctors who have made our people to believe that wealth without work is possible are now on the run and many have been apprehended and are being investigated for trial in court,” Mefor said.
In the same vein, an official of Kaduna State government has said Governor Uba Sani is still an advocate of the establishment of state police.
In a chat with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Kaduna, the official who pleaded anonymity, said the governor believes that the state police will fill the gap of inadequate security manpower to tackle security challenges.
Last year, Governor Sani strongly advocated for the creation of state police to combat bandits terrorising his state and the North West zone.
When contacted, the commander of the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVS), Brig. Gen. Umar Muhammad Ibrahim (rtd), said he would not speak on telephone on how his men were assisting conventional security to tackle criminals in the state.
We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →
Join Our WhatsApp Channel
