President Bola Tinubu has called on lawmakers to amend the country’s constitution to allow the creation of state police, saying the move is necessary to tackle growing insecurity.
The appeal was made during an interfaith breakfast with members of the Nigerian Senate at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
President Tinubu said Nigeria’s current security challenges, including terrorism, banditry and insurgency, require a decentralised policing structure that would enable states to respond more quickly and effectively to local threats.
“We are facing terrorism, banditry and insurgency,” the president said. “What I ask tonight is for you to start thinking about how best to amend the constitution to incorporate state police, so we can secure our country, reclaim our forests from marauders and free our children from fear.”
He argued that state police would complement existing federal security agencies, strengthen intelligence gathering at the grassroots level and promote community-based law enforcement.
The president also praised what he described as a cordial working relationship between the executive and the Senate, saying national unity was essential in addressing security concerns.
Mr Tinubu thanked lawmakers for supporting key economic reforms under his administration, including the removal of fuel subsidies and changes to tax policy.
He said the measures had helped curb corruption and stabilise the economy, though they have also sparked public debate and criticism.
“I have a lot of credit for bold reforms. Without your collaboration and inspiration, those reforms would not be possible. We are reformists together. What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system. We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange.
“You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you could see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud, and I am glad you are. What we are enjoying is a stable economy, and prosperity is beckoning us. We need to work hard, and this attendance means a lot to me,” the President said.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, welcomed the president’s remarks and commended his leadership, saying recent reforms had increased revenue available to state governments for infrastructure development.
He also offered prayers for the president and for peace and prosperity in the country.
The creation of state police has long been debated in Nigeria, with supporters arguing it would improve security, while critics warn it could be abused by state governments for political purposes. Any change would require a constitutional amendment approved by the National Assembly and state legislatures.
