The National Economic Council (NEC) has taken a decision to defer talks on state police until its next meeting.
This position by the council, comes amidst rising insecurity and bloodshed in parts of the country.
Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, who briefed State House Correspondents after the council’s 149th meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, on Thursday, that the issue was on the agenda, but could not be discussed in detail as it was still far down on the list.
He said: “State police was part of our agenda today, but unfortunately, because of time demands, and after a very long meeting, we have been there for a very long time now, the presentations could not get to that point. So, I assure you that in our next meeting, that issue will be exhaustively discussed.”
The NEC meeting typically holds on the last Thursday of the month but has not been regular in the last couple of months.
At its meeting in December, although all 36 states had submitted reports supporting a decentralised police force, the NEC deferred discussions until January 2025, but only sat in February where it said the matter was not discussed.
During the meeting, the governors observed a minute of silence to honour those killed in the recent wave of attacks in Plateau, Benue, Borno and Enugu States.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has advocated for increased recruitment into security agencies and the adoption of technology-driven solutions to tackle killings at the state level.
The forum, led by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, made this known in a communiqué read by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma following their meeting in Abuja, on Thursday.
He stated that, as an immediate step to address the surge in killings in parts of the country, the Governors have set up a committee to collaborate with security agency heads on a joint strategy.
Since the reported killing of at least 15 people on March 9 in a series of renewed attacks by suspected herdsmen in the Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, more lives have been lost in a wave of attacks on various communities.
On April 14, an attack on Zike hamlet, Kimakpa community, within the Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State, resulted in the deaths of at least 52 individuals, including a family of eight, with many properties torched.
In response, the 36 state governors called for swift action and urged security agencies to confront the security challenges directly.
Uzodimma said, “The forum received a presentation from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, on an innovative security initiative aimed at strengthening national and subnational capacity for early threat detection and coordinated response.
“The project envisions the phased deployment of advanced technology and infrastructure to improve surveillance, crisis management, and public safety. Governors expressed support for the initiative’s objectives and underscored the importance of technology-driven solutions in addressing evolving security challenges at the state level.”
Uzodimma also said the forum received a presentation on a proposed strategic partnership with Powercom Smart Grid Nigeria Limited.
The initiative, he said, is intended to revamp the electricity distribution sector by leveraging private sector investment.
Speaking with jpournalists after the meeting, the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, emphasised the importance of state policing in Nigeria.
He, however, said that the killings should not be seen as an indictment of the governors as they have a limited role to play in addressing the issue.
He challenged the security agencies to step up the fight against criminality, arguing that more boots are needed on the ground to rout the attackers.
