The National Economic Council on Thursday postponed discussions on state police despite escalating violence in several Nigerian states, as governors and security leaders called for urgent reforms and improved collaboration.
The National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday deferred discussions on the creation of state police, despite a worsening wave of deadly attacks across parts of Nigeria. The matter was on the agenda during the council’s 149th meeting but was not reached due to time constraints.
“State police was part of our agenda today… but unfortunately, because of time demands… the presentations could not get to that point,” said Bayelsa Governor Duoye Diri after the nearly four-hour meeting at Aso Rock Villa. He assured reporters that the matter would be addressed in detail at the next council session.
Although all 36 states have submitted reports supporting a decentralized police system, discussions have been repeatedly delayed. The council last convened on the matter in February.
During the session, governors observed a minute of silence for victims of recent killings in Plateau, Benue, Borno, and Enugu states. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum, led by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, also announced a new committee to coordinate with security agencies on strategic responses.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani emphasized the urgency of state policing, while highlighting Nigeria’s security staffing shortfall. “We have less than 300,000 soldiers, and fewer than 400,000 police officers for 230 million people,” he said.
“There are a lot of ungoverned spaces… So we have to look at other areas of addressing the issue of insecurity,” Sani noted, stressing the need for both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches.
“We don’t need to blame each other. We all have to work together,” he added.