Northern governors and traditional rulers have thrown their weight behind the establishment of state police, describing it as a crucial reform needed to address persistent insecurity across the region and the country at large.
The leaders reached this resolution on Monday, December 1, during a high‑level meeting in Kaduna, hosted by Governor Uba Sani and chaired by the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe.
The gathering came as banditry, kidnapping, and communal clashes continue to devastate communities across the north.
In his welcome address, Governor Uba Sani said the meeting underscored the need for collective action to confront the region’s growing security and economic challenges.
He argued that Nigeria’s centralised policing system was outdated and inadequate for a country of over 200 million people.
“The public conversation about insecurity in the north has become more complicated,” he said.
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“A few voices driven by political motives have worked to create the impression that northern governors have grown complacent; nothing could be further from the truth,” he added.
Reiterating his call for decentralisation of policing, Sani said, “Nigeria’s centralised policing model can no longer meet the demands of a nation with over two hundred million people with vast ungoverned spaces.
“With fewer than four hundred thousand police officers nationwide, many rural communities are left without meaningful protection.”
At the close of the meeting, the leaders reaffirmed their call for the swift implementation of state police, in line with the recent directive from President Tinubu urging the National Assembly to develop the necessary constitutional framework for the reform.
They also jointly condemned divisive narratives threatening national unity and pledged to intensify coordinated, community‑driven responses to insecurity and underdevelopment across the region.