State police suffers setback as FG, govs’ January meeting fails
The Federal Government’s promise to finalise discussions on state policing has once again stalled as the National Economic Council failed to convene its first meeting earlier scheduled for January 2025.
The council had previously deferred final resolutions on the creation of state police to January after securing written positions from the 36 states, with the majority backing the idea of state-controlled policing.
The council, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shattima, comprises the 36 state governors, the Minister of Finance, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and select key government officials.
NEC’s deliberations also include consultations with sector experts.
According to sources in the Presidency and the Council, the NEC was set to meet on January 31, which was derailed by an emergency meeting of governors from the Peoples Democratic Party in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Friday.
A source said, “We had suggested January 31 for the NEC meeting to finalise the discussions not only on state police but other matters as well.
“But PDP governors met on Friday. And these governors are part of the council. So, we had no choice but to stand down the NEC meeting.”
A senior official in the council also confirmed the abrupt shift.
“The council was to reconvene on January 31,” the official said. “However, some key stakeholders indicated they will be attending the PDP Governors’ meeting. Without a quorum, there was no point going ahead.”
The push for state police gained fresh momentum at the 147th NEC meeting in December, where Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State revealed that all 36 states (excluding the FCT) had submitted their positions.
“I want to say here clearly that most of us are in agreement with the establishment of state police,” he said.
The Kaduna State governor explained that the consensus stemmed from various security challenges across states.
He highlighted the central issue of ungoverned spaces in Nigeria and the acute shortage of security personnel, including the police, army and other relevant agencies.
However, the council deferred conclusive discussions until January to allow for further engagement with other stakeholders and to compile a comprehensive report at the NEC secretariat.
Addressing journalists, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the process was still in its infancy and would only take shape after more deliberations with stakeholders.
He said, “A lot of work must be done in that direction. But if our government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, this is a significant shift.”
As of the last NEC meeting, the implementation of state police remains only in the planning stages as the Federal Government and state authorities continue to haggle on the constitutional amendments required to empower states to establish and manage their police forces.
