President Bola Tinubu has urged the National Assembly to summon the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to address delays and concerns surrounding the creation of state police in Nigeria.
Speaking at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Friday in Abuja, the President said lawmakers must examine the implications of establishing state police and put safeguards in place to prevent abuse.
Tinubu reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to creating state police, describing it as a necessary step to improve security nationwide. He also disclosed plans to establish and arm forest rangers to tackle insecurity, particularly in forested and hard-to-reach areas.
“National Assembly, summon the Inspector General of Police and start looking at the ramifications and which way to institute control and prevent abuses on the creation of state police. We are going for state police. We’ll also do the forest rangers, and we are going to arm them,” he said.
The National Economic Council (NEC), made up of state governors, the Vice President and key federal officials, has in recent months intensified discussions on the creation of state police as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
At several NEC meetings, governors have argued that the current centralised policing system is overstretched and ineffective in tackling local security threats such as banditry, kidnapping and communal violence.
The council has largely expressed support for state police, while emphasising the need for constitutional amendments, clear funding frameworks and strong safeguards to prevent political misuse.
