The national economic council (NEC) on Thursday deferred
discussions on the creation of state police for the third time, citing time
constraints caused by lengthy presentations.
The meeting, held at the State House, Abuja, and chaired by
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, had in attendance state governors, including
Ibok-Ete Ibas, sole administrator of Rivers.
Also present were Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal
capital territory (FCT), and Yemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN).
Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa, said state police was on the agenda but could not be discussed due to the council’s tight schedule.
“For your information, state police was part of our agenda
today,” Diri said.
“But unfortunately, because of the time demands — we have
been there for a very long time — and the lengthy presentations, we were unable
to get to that bit of it.
“I can assure you that in our next meeting, the issue will
be exhaustively discussed.”
This marks the third time the council has deferred talks on
state police since late 2023.
In November 2024, all 36 states (excluding the FCT)
submitted their positions to NEC, with most reportedly supporting the proposal
in light of growing insecurity.
A conclusive decision was first postponed from November 2024
to January 2025 to allow for more stakeholders’ engagement and to finalise a
comprehensive report.
However, the January meeting was again delayed due to an emergency
summit of governors.
The April session was expected to focus on the matter, but
it was pushed forward once more due to time constraints.
NEC has consistently stressed the need for extensive
consultation and documentation before reaching a decision.
“While we did not get to discuss state police today, the
council is aware of the gravity of the security situation and remains committed
to finding sustainable solutions,” Diri said.
The council observed a minute’s silence in honour of victims
of recent violent attacks in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, and Kwara states, where
over 100 people have reportedly been killed.
Diri said the gesture was to show sympathy and solidarity,
noting that journalists were invited to witness it.
Opeyemi Bamidele, leader of the senate, said the national
assembly is developing legal frameworks to establish state police as part of
efforts to address insecurity in the country.
“While the authority of the national assembly is in the process
of developing legal frameworks for the establishment of state police as one of
the measures to address insecurity in the country, we urge security agencies to
work together as a team to track and apprehend all the masterminds and sponsors
of terror attacks nationwide,” Bamidele said.
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