President Bola Tinubu has declared that the creation of state police is no longer optional, declaring readiness to confront Nigeria’s worsening security challenges with decisive reforms.
Speaking on Tuesday while receiving a delegation of prominent citizens from Katsina, led by Governor Dikko Radda, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu said insecurity across the country must be tackled with fresh strategies.
He announced that security agencies have been directed to review their operations in Katsina following the resurgence of banditry in the state.
The federal government, he added, will deploy advanced military hardware, surveillance drones, and possibly upgrade the forest guards recently introduced in the state.
“The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it,” Tinubu said.
“I have today directed all the security agencies to energise further and look at the strategies. We have approved the additional acquisition of drones.”
The president stressed that he will not relent until citizens are protected.
“I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create state police. We are looking at that holistically.
“We will defeat insecurity. We must protect our children, our people, our livelihood, our places of worship, and our recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us,” he declared.
The move follows a February 2024 decision by the federal government to set up a committee to explore the creation of state police. Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, had revealed that the president and governors agreed on modalities, with further meetings scheduled to determine its feasibility. Vice-President Kashim Shettima later disclosed that while all states expressed support, 20 were yet to submit their reports on the initiative.
Tinubu also paid tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari, assuring that his legacies would be preserved.
“The time we lost our brother, President Buhari, is a loss for all of us. It is the will of God Almighty, but he has left in a good way,” Tinubu said.
“He didn’t hand over a defeated country, a battered political structure, but a legacy of success, and that is the most important thing.
“We just have to continue praying that Almighty Allah should grant him Aljannah Firdausi and give the rest of us the ability to stand very strong and push Nigeria forward. Not to look back in sorrow but move forward in success,” he added.
Governor Radda, in his remarks, thanked the president for his continued support.
“Mr President, I would like to thank you very much, and I want to say before our elders that there was never a time I came to the President with a request that he rejected,” he said.
“We thank you, Mr President, for sharing with Katsina. You are a true son of Katsina state. I recall that Katsina is the first state you visited and spent a night. We thank you for the privilege.”
The governor called for more security reinforcements, youth empowerment, and infrastructure for the state.
Also speaking, former Governor Aminu Masari commended Tinubu for giving Buhari a “true state funeral,” while pledging Katsina’s loyalty to his administration.
Ibrahim Ida, the Wazirin of Katsina, praised Tinubu’s infrastructure priorities, including the Kano-Maradi rail project, but urged the federal government to upgrade the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport and intensify security in southern Katsina.
