JUST-IN: Tinubu tells NASS to review laws for State Police amid rising insecurity

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged the National Assembly to review existing laws to enable states that are willing to establish their own police forces as part of new measures to curb rising insecurity across the country.

This appeal was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, where the President declared a nationwide security emergency.

“I call on the National Assembly to begin reviewing our laws to allow states that require state police to establish them,” he said.

Tinubu also assured that his administration will support state governments that have already created security outfits to protect their citizens from terrorists and other criminal elements.

He advised schools and religious institutions located in remote or vulnerable areas to prioritise safety by ensuring constant police presence.

He said: “States should rethink establishing boarding schools in remote areas without adequate security. Mosques and churches should constantly seek police and other security protection when they gather for prayers, especially in vulnerable areas.”

The push for state police is part of a wider security response that includes the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers, deployment of trained forest guards, and reinforcement of the Armed Forces in high-risk regions.

Tinubu authorised the police to recruit 20,000 new officers, raising the total number to 50,000, and approved the temporary use of National Youth Service Corps camps as training facilities.

“My fellow Nigerians, this is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas. The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we should all get involved in securing our nation,” he added.

The President directed the Department of State Services to deploy trained forest guards to flush out bandits and terrorists hiding in forests and to recruit more personnel for forest operations.

He also reiterated that police officers withdrawn from VIP protection duties must undergo crash training before being redeployed to critical security zones.

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