The Northern Senators Forum has renewed its call for the establishment and full implementation of state police, saying delays in decentralising policing are undermining efforts to tackle insecurity across the country.
The lawmakers made the demand following recent terrorist attacks in Adamawa and Sokoto states that reportedly left more than 36 people, including security personnel and civilians, dead.
In a statement signed by the forum’s chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, representing Katsina Central, the senators urged the Federal Government, state governors and Houses of Assembly to expedite action on the proposed state police framework.
They specifically called on the Presidential Working Group, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, to work with the states to advance the state police bill currently awaiting ratification.
The forum said decentralised policing would strengthen security at the grassroots by improving intelligence gathering and reducing response times to emerging threats.
“Decentralized policing is critical to improving response time and intelligence gathering at the grassroots,” the senators said.
The lawmakers warned that continued bureaucratic delays in implementing security reforms could worsen the country’s security challenges.
“We cannot continue to lose innocent lives to insurgents while bureaucracy delays critical security reforms. The time to act is now,” they said.
The senators condemned the recent attacks in Gaya community, Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, and Ungushi village, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
“The Northern Senators Forum strongly condemns the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Gaya community, Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State and in Ungushi village, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, which have claimed the lives of over 36 Nigerians, including security personnel and innocent worshippers,” the statement said.
The forum commiserated with the families of those killed and expressed solidarity with the governments and people of Adamawa and Sokoto states.
The lawmakers also urged state and local governments to strengthen and adequately support community vigilante groups, describing them as important potential partners for the police and military in gathering intelligence at the grassroots.
They said closer collaboration between communities and security agencies would enable authorities to detect emerging threats earlier and improve responses to attacks.
The senators prayed for the repose of the victims and the speedy recovery of those injured in the attacks.
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