33 Nigerian States Show Support For Establishing Regional Police Forces: Governor Uba Sani

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna said most of Nigeria's 36 states have agreed that each of these regions should have its own police force.

After the 146th National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, which was led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Sani spoke to the media Thursday, revealing that the creation of state police was one of the key topics during the meeting.

The same topic was also discussed at the previous NEC meeting last month. Following the November meeting, Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri told reporters that 33 states, excluding Adamawa, Kebbi, and Kwara, have supported the idea of state police.

Kaduna state governor said that most states were in agreement with the idea of establishing state police in Nigeria. However, the discussion was put on hold, with Sani noting that further talks will take place at the next council meeting, Premium Times reported.

He explained that a report from the secretariat needed to be prepared first, adding that once the report was ready, the issue will be discussed again at the next NEC meeting, which was expected to take place in January.

Furthermore, there was a resolution from the last NEC meeting and the secretariat agreed that further engagement with stakeholders will take place after the panel and NEC members' deliberations.

In the northeast, troops are battling the jihadist group Boko Haram and its offshoots, including ISWAP, in a conflict that has lasted for years, causing thousands of deaths and displacing over a million people.

The violence has spread to neighboring regions, including the north-central, where Boko Haram operates in areas like Kurebe, Allawa, and Bassa in Niger State. Banditry and farmer-herder conflicts -- particularly in Benue and Plateau states -- are also major security issues in the region.

In the north-west, resource-based conflicts have led to increased violence, mostly caused by local bandits. Over 10 bandit groups operate in the region, engaging in killings and kidnappings. Experts believe the rise in terrorism is due to the influx of jihadists or the collaboration between bandits and jihadist groups.

An attack by Boko Haram killed around 40 Chadian troops overnight near the Nigerian border, prompting an army operation to hunt down the militants, the government and local sources revealed in October.