The Northern Governors’ Forum and the local council of traditional rulers have reaffirmed their support for the establishment of a state police force and urged the National Assembly to move quickly to approve the legislation necessary for it to begin operations.
The request was made in response to recent killings and attacks in a few of the region’s states.
During their combined meeting on Saturday at Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna State, they adopted this resolution, seeing yet a renewed call for state policing gaining momentum.
In a communiqué read by the chairman of the forum and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, at the end of the meeting, the northern governors resolved to liaise with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) to work out modalities of how to increase support to the federal security forces.
By establishing inter-state platforms to coordinate monitoring on their shared borders, they also decided to support odd local efforts in addressing all types of security threats.
The governors praised President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering dedication to tackling the security issues and infrastructure deficiencies in northern Nigeria, even as they recognised the vital role that nonpartisan cooperation, collaboration, and peer review play in successfully tackling the many developmental challenges that the northern region and the country as a whole face.
In his opening remarks, Governor Yahaya denounced the recent attacks and killings in Plateau, Benue, Bauchi, Borno, and Yobe states and emphasised the need for coordinated effort to promote regional development and combat insecurity.
As a result, he called on the federal government to reevaluate its security plans, stressing the value of cooperation between the national, state, and local security frameworks.
According to the Northern Governors’ Forum, the resurgence of Boko Haram activities in the northeast and violent killings in the north-central regions were major concerns that require immediate attention.
“We must work together to address the security challenges facing our region. It’s imperative that we enhance our security measures to protect our citizens and ensure their safety,” he said.
He commended President Tinubu’s commitment to Nigeria’s security while noting the need for more effective strategies.
Governor Yahaya also voiced concerns about the condition of northern Nigeria’s infrastructure, pointing to abandoned projects like the Kano-Maiduguri motorway and the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line.
To close the infrastructure gap, the governor of Kebbi promoted creative financing solutions like infrastructure bonds and public-private partnerships.
Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna State and the meeting’s main host, praised Tinubu in his speech for his steadfast dedication to resolving the north’s infrastructure shortcomings.
Sani praised Tinubu’s initiative to complete the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway project.
“Mr President will go down in history as the leader who listened to the cries of the Northern people and took decisive action,” the governor said.
