Afenifere, northern leaders demand state police amid delays

Barely 17 months after the Tinubu administration first expressed interest in establishing a decentralised police force, several sociopolitical groups, civil society organisations and ex-service men and women have intensified calls for its implementation.

This followed Tuesday’s meeting between President Bola Tinubu and eminent citizens of Katsina State, where he stated that the Federal Government will hasten the devolution of power to the sub-national levels and further equip recently deployed forest guards.

“I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create a state police,” Tinubu told the delegation led by Governor Dikko Radda.

On Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, welcomed the renewed call by the President.

Speaking with The PUNCH in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Ajayi expressed hope that Tinubu would remove delays clogging the implementation pipeline before the end of 2025.

As is well known, the idea of state police has been on the front burner for quite a while. We recall that Tinubu has never hidden his desire to have state police.

“Indeed, going by the posture of Mr. President, one had thought that the scheme would have taken off before now,” he stated.