President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday called on the Senate to rewrite the constitution to allow state-level policing, as the country grapples with insecurity from terrorism and banditry.
Speaking at an interfaith breakfast with Senators at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Tinubu said decentralised policing was essential to tackle threats at the grassroots level and reclaim forests from marauders.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga in a statement quoted the Presisent as saying to the Lawmakers – “We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency.”
“What I will ask for tonight is for you to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate state police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear.”
The President praised the Senate’s support for his economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and tax reforms, which he said had curbed “monumental corruption”.
He noted the growing harmony between the executive and legislature as key to building a stable economy.
In his remarks, Senate president Godswill Akpabio commended President Tinubu’s “visionary leadership”, crediting reforms with boosting revenues for states to fund infrastructure.
The Senate president led prayers for the administration and national prosperity.
NewsQuest reports that push for state police reflects long-standing debates in the country over centralised security architectures’ effectiveness amid kidnappings and violent criminality in some rural areas.
