President Bola Tinubu has called on the Senate to amend the Constitution to allow the creation of State Police across Nigeria.
The appeal was made on Wednesday during an interfaith breakfast with members of the 10th Senate at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Moreover, the request comes at a time when insecurity remains a major concern nationwide.
The President said the need for State Police has become urgent. He stressed that Nigeria’s security structure must evolve to meet growing threats such as terrorism, banditry, and insurgency.
The State Police constitutional amendment proposal, according to Tinubu, will help states respond faster to security challenges within their territories. In addition, he said decentralised policing would strengthen grassroots law enforcement and improve intelligence gathering.
“We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency. But we will never fail to make a right response to this cause. What I will ask for tonight is for you (Senators) to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear,” he said.
Tinubu noted that federal security agencies alone cannot handle every threat effectively. Therefore, he believes State Police will complement existing structures and make communities safer.
Meanwhile, the President praised the Senate for maintaining harmony with the executive arm. He said unity between both arms of government is key to defeating insecurity.
“It is a good thing that we are working in harmony, we are looking forward to a country that evolves, a country that takes care of its citizens and protects all,” he said.
Furthermore, Tinubu thanked lawmakers for supporting major economic reforms.
“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,” he said.
The President added that economic stability is beginning to take shape. However, he stressed that more work must be done.
On his part, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended Tinubu’s leadership. He said the reforms have improved revenue for states and strengthened development efforts.
