President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to the National Assembly to amend existing laws to enable states that desire their own police forces to establish them, as part of renewed efforts to tackle Nigeria’s escalating insecurity.
The appeal was made in a statement issued on Wednesday, in which the President declared a nationwide security emergency.
“I call on the National Assembly to begin reviewing our laws to allow states that require state police to establish them,” Tinubu said.
He further assured that his administration will fully support state governments that have already created local security outfits aimed at protecting residents from terrorists and criminal groups threatening national stability.
The push for state police is one component of a wider security overhaul that includes recruiting 20,000 additional police officers, deploying specially trained forest guards, and strengthening military operations in affected regions.
Tinubu approved the recruitment of 20,000 new police personnel—raising the total to 50,000—and permitted the temporary use of NYSC camps as training centres.
Calling on citizens to join in safeguarding the nation, he said:
“My fellow Nigerians, this is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas. The times require all hands on deck.”
The President also directed the Department of State Services to deploy forest guards to track down bandits and terrorists hiding in remote areas, and to boost its personnel strength for forest operations.
He added that officers previously withdrawn from VIP security duties must undergo accelerated training before being redeployed to frontline assignments.