President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday gave a nod to the establishment of state police as part of measures to combat rising insurgency and banditry.
‘I call on the National Assembly to begin reviewing our laws to allow states that require state police to establish them,’ he said in a statement he personally issued.
The President, who declared a nationwide security emergency in response to the wave of violent attacks, directed the military and the police to embark on massive recruitment of personnel in readiness for a reinvigorated onslaught against terror.
The President also ordered the activation of forest guards and tighter security measures for all vulnerable areas.
Although state police has been on the front burner of constitutional amendment, some states and other individuals have urged caution, saying that the structure could be abused by heads of sub-national units.
Currently, each of the five Southwest states of Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, and Ekiti operates a security outfit, especially Amotekun, in response to the mounting security challenges.
Lagos, which pioneered the idea of a security trust fund, also funds an outfit, neighbourhood watch, to complement the police.
In the Southeast, Ebube Agu was mooted by the governors of Anambra, Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi.
In the North, many state governments have set up the civilian Joint Task Force for the maintenance of law and order.
Yesterday, governors from the Southwest, Southeast and Southsouth met in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to brainstorm on strategies for strengthening the apparatus in their domains.
They said in their communique that state police is non-negotiable.
Acknowledging the imperative of a decentralised policing structure, President Tinubu said the Federal Government would support the initiative at the state level.
He said: ‘Our administration will support state governments which have set up security outfits to safeguard their people from the terrorists bent on disrupting our national peace.’
President Tinubu said to strengthen the current federal police, ‘the police will recruit an additional 20,000 officers, bringing the total to 50,000.’
He directed the police to use the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps as police training centres in response to the need to meet the requirements for an expanded capacity.
President Tinubu also ordered that officers being withdrawn from Very Important Personalities (VIP) guard duties must undergo crash retraining.
He said the goal of the exercise is to ‘debrief them and deliver more efficient police services when deployed to security-challenged areas of the country.’
The President said the Department of State Services (DSS) would be empowered to activate the forest security architecture.
He said: ‘The DSS also has my authority to immediately deploy all the forest guards already trained to flush out the terrorists and bandits lurking in our forests.’
He added: ‘There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil.’
Describing the prevailing situation as’a national emergency,’ the President said the Federal Government was responding by ‘deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas.’
He appealed to citizens to play their part, saying: ‘The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we should all get involved in securing our nation.’
President Tinubu commended security forces for the recent breakthroughs, including the rescue of abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi and the 38 worshippers seized in Kwara State.
He said: ‘We will continue to sustain the efforts to rescue the remaining students of Catholic School in Niger State and other Nigerians still being held hostage.’
To the security agencies, President Tinubu said: ‘I commend your courage and your sacrifice.
‘I charge you to remain resolute, to restore peace across all theatres of operation, and to uphold the highest standards of discipline and integrity.
‘There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence.’
He cautioned state governments against operating boarding schools in remote, unsecured areas, urging religious institutions to ‘constantly seek police and other security protection when they gather for prayers, especially in vulnerable areas.’
The President reiterated his administration’s stance on resolving farmer-herder clashes, alluding to the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development.
He urged herder groups to abandon open grazing and embrace ranching, saying: ‘I call on all herder associations to take advantage of it, end open grazing and surrender illegal weapons. Ranching is now the path forward’.
President Tinubu expressed sympathy to families affected by recent attacks in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe and Kwara States.
He also paid tribute to fallen soldiers, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba.
The president added: ‘Those who want to test our resolve should never mistake our restraint for weakness.
‘This administration has the courage and determination to keep the country safe and ensure our citizens live in peace.’
Emphasising the importance of surveillance and intelligence gathering, he said: ‘I urge you not to give in to fear and never succumb to despair.
‘Report suspicious activities. Cooperate with security agencies. We are in this fight together, and together we shall win.’
State police non-negotiable, say Southern governors
The Southern Governors’ Forum said state police is non-negotiable if Nigeria desires to effectively tackle banditry.
The meeting was attended by Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Alex Otti (Abia), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Charles Soludo (Anambra) and Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo).
Also there were Deputy Governors Kola Adewusi (Osun), Bayo Lawal (Oyo), Peter Odey (Cross River) and Dennis Idahosa (Edo).
Abiodun, who welcomed the governors, said the abduction of worshippers in Kwara State, school children in Kebbi State and Catholic school pupils in Niger State reinforced the urgency of a decentralised policing system.
He said state police would enable the states to take responsibility for safeguarding their citizens and residents.
Abiodun said a unified Southern position on state police would not only enhance intelligence gathering and early-warning capabilities but also strengthen the region’s ability to secure schools, farmlands, border communities, and critical infrastructure.
He recalled that the South has consistently advocated for a security system that is closer to the people and more responsive to local realities, and better equipped to address the rapidly evolving threats.
Abiodun said the speed at which insecurity spreads also shows that geography is no longer a guarantee of safety.
He stressed that, given the dense populations, major industrial corridors, seaports, airports, and strategic highways, the Southern region faces unique exposure to security risks from non-state actors.
He said the time had come for a shift from a mindset of assumed safety to one defined by structured, preventive, and deliberate security planning.
Abiodun urged Southern Nigeria to adopt a proactive and integrated security framework anchored on intelligence-sharing, border protection, safe-school systems, corridor surveillance, and strong community participation.
He said the gathering would provide a critical opportunity to strengthen the region’s collective resolve, deepen cooperation, and act decisively to protect its people and maintain national cohesion.
He urged the forum to reaffirm its support for state police as each participating state has submitted individual positions on the subject.
Abiodun added: ‘A real-time digital security and intelligence-sharing platform linking all Southern states will ensure seamless communication and rapid threat alerts.
‘A comprehensive safe school programme must be established to protect educational institutions, particularly in vulnerable locations.
‘Joint audits of major transport corridors – road, rail, and maritime – will help identify weak points and inform the deployment of sentinel units and rapid response teams.
‘Community, private security partnerships should be strengthened to bring together local vigilance groups, youth teams, private security firms, and formal security agencies within one coordinated ecosystem.
‘A dedicated regional rapid response fund will also be essential for emergency deployments, rescue operations, forensic support, and inter-state training.
‘At the state level, measures such as mandatory documentation of foreign nationals, dismantling unlawful enclaves, regulating scavenger activities, intensified forest operations, and a crackdown on illegal mining must be pursued with renewed vigour.’