The Northern Senators Forum has called on the Nigerian Government, state governors and Houses of Assembly to expedite action on the establishment and implementation of State Police, declaring that the time for decentralised policing is now.
The call followed the latest terrorist attacks in Adamawa and Sokoto states, which reportedly claimed the lives of more than 36 Nigerians, including security personnel and worshippers.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Chairman of the Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), the lawmakers urged the Nigerian Government, through the Presidential Working Group chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, as well as state governors and Houses of Assembly, to give urgent attention to the State Police Bill currently awaiting ratification.
The Lawmakers agreed that decentralised policing was critical to improving response time and strengthening intelligence gathering at the grassroots.
The lawmakers condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Gaya community, Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, and Ungushi village, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
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The Northern Senators Forum commiserated with the families of the victims and prayed for the repose of the souls of those killed, while wishing those injured a speedy recovery.
The lawmakers also urged state and local governments to invest in and strengthen community vigilante groups, describing them as potential intelligence partners for the police and military in the fight against terrorism and other forms of criminality.
According to the Lawmakers, empowering local security structures alongside comprehensive reforms to Nigeria’s policing system would strengthen early-warning mechanisms, improve intelligence gathering and facilitate faster responses to security threats in vulnerable communities.
The senators therefore reiterated their call for urgent action on State Police, stressing that further delays in decentralising the nation’s security architecture could continue to undermine efforts to protect communities from emerging threats.
