Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to the creation of state police.
According to him, the establishment of state police has become unavoidable as part of efforts to strengthen security across the country.
Tinubu spoke on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa during a courtesy visit by a delegation of prominent Katsina indigenes led by Governor Dikko Radda.
He assured the delegation that the federal government remains committed to confronting insecurity head-on.
The President directed security agencies to reassess their operations in Katsina State following a spike in banditry. He added that advanced military equipment and surveillance technology would be deployed to the state to help tackle insecurity.
Tinubu also revealed plans to enhance the capacity of newly recruited forest guards in the state.
While acknowledging the gravity of the country’s security challenges, he stressed that they could be overcome with determination and strategy.
“The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it,” he said.
“I have today directed all the security agencies to energise further and review their strategies. We have approved the additional acquisition of drones.”
The President further instructed that he be given daily updates on security operations in Katsina.
“I am reviewing all aspects of security. I have to create state police. We are looking at that holistically,” he added.
“We will defeat insecurity. We must protect our children, our people, our livelihood, our places of worship, and our recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us.”
Tinubu recalled that in February 2024, the federal government set up a committee to study the framework for state policing.
The initiative has since gained wide support, although as of March, 20 states had yet to submit their reports, according to Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
