NEC defers key discussion on state policing again as governors call for urgent action on escalating security crisis.
The National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday postponed deliberations on state police, despite escalating violence across Nigeria.
Bayelsa Governor Duoye Diri said after the Council’s 149th meeting that “state police was part of our agenda today, but unfortunately, the presentations could not get to that point.”
Governors observed a minute of silence for victims of recent attacks in Plateau, Benue, Borno, and Enugu states. Since March, dozens have died in a wave of killings, including the April 14 massacre of 52 people in Plateau State.
Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma, speaking for the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, said a sub-committee would work with security agencies on a joint response strategy.
Kaduna Governor Uba Sani stressed the need for state policing, noting: “In almost 20 months since I took over, we have not had a single religious or communal clash.”
Sani added, “We do not have enough boots on the ground. There are a lot of ungoverned spaces in Nigeria.”