Establishing State Police in Nigeria: "What I Told US, European Partners", Tinubu Speaks
- President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria would establish state police, arguing that decentralised policing would significantly improve national security
- The president spoke while addressing governors elected on the platform of the APC during the party’s national caucus meeting in Abuja
- He told APC governors that discussions with US and European leaders showed international interest in Nigeria’s security reforms
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
FCT, Abuja - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed strong confidence that Nigeria will eventually adopt state police, insisting that decentralised policing remains one of the most viable solutions to the country’s deepening security challenges.
The president spoke on Wednesday night while addressing governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the party’s national caucus meeting at the State House, Abuja.
Source: Twitter
Tinubu disclosed that he had recently raised the issue during high-level engagements with leaders from the United States and Europe, presenting state police as part of Nigeria’s broader security reforms.
According to him, the foreign leaders questioned whether his administration had the political backing required to implement such a sensitive reform, to which he responded confidently, as reported by The Business Day.
He said:
“I had a very long discussion with the US and European leaders. I told them that definitely we will pass a state police to improve security.”
“They asked me if I’m confident, and I said yes. I have a party to depend on. I have a party that will make it happen,” Tinubu added.
The President’s comments came amid rising security pressures across the country, renewed calls for decentralised policing, and the push to implement the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy and direct allocation to councils.
Tinubu reaffirms local government autonomy
Beyond security reforms, the president also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enforcing local government autonomy, stressing that councils must receive funds directly from the federation account.
He also called attention to the recent Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, urging party leaders to support its implementation and use it to strengthen grassroots governance.
According to the President, autonomy would be meaningless if councils were not adequately funded, insisting that allocations meant for local governments must go directly to them.
“To me, local government autonomy must be effective. There is no autonomy without a funded mandate. We give them their money directly. That is compliance with the Supreme Court.” Tinubu said.
He urged governors to take responsibility for governance beyond state capitals, warning that leadership must reach down to the grassroots if development and security efforts are to succeed.
“You are in a leadership position that must continue to promote, tolerate and be flexible, and get involved in whatever is happening in your states, up to the local government level,” the president said.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that state governments had no constitutional authority to withhold funds allocated to local government councils, ordering direct disbursement to elected councils.
Akpabio: Senate to make kidnapping a terrorism offence
According to the PUNCH, Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured Tinubu of the party’s support amid security challenges confronting the country.
“So as we grow, there will be envy, there will be jealousy, and with jealousy comes hatred, and with hatred comes challenges,” Akpabio said
He added that APC leaders were praying for the president to overcome the nation’s difficulties.
Source: Twitter
While commending Tinubu for securing the release of over 100 children kidnapped recently, the Senate president said the caucus remained concerned about victims still in captivity.
“We thank the President for the release of over 100 children who were kidnapped very recently, and we pray to God to give him the ability and the enablement to release the remaining children to rejoin their families,” he said.
Akpabio also revealed that the Senate had taken what he described as “bold decisions” to strengthen deterrence against criminality.
He said lawmakers were pushing legislation to classify kidnapping alongside terrorism, a move that would expose offenders to the death penalty once the president assents to the bill.
APC chairman speaks on defections
In his remarks, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the party was experiencing a surge in national acceptance, driven by recent high-profile defections and internal reforms.
According to him, the APC’s growing appeal reflected what he described as Tinubu’s “visionary leadership” and the party’s expanding pan-Nigerian character.
“Recent political developments have underscored APC’s pan-Nigerian character, including significant defections that have further expanded our influence,” Yilwatda said.
He listed several governors and political actors who, according to him, had recently joined the party, adding that the APC now enjoys an overwhelming majority in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Yilwatda also announced the activation of an electronic membership registration system aimed at improving transparency, data integrity and internal democracy within the party.
He said registration and training had commenced across states, zones, and several local governments, with January 30 set as the deadline for members to be fully registered ahead of party congresses.
LG autonomy: Supreme Court calls out FG
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Supreme Court called on the federal government to implement its earlier judgment granting financial autonomy to the 774 local government areas in Nigeria.
The court made the call while giving its verdict on the suit filed by the Osun state government to compel the federal government to release the allocations of the local governments in the state.
Justice Mohammed Idris of the Supreme Court, while upholding the Attorney General of the Federation's preliminary objection challenging the competence of the apex court in the suit, he, however, urged the federal government to fully implement its ruling, which granted fiscal autonomy to all the 7774 local government areas in the country.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
