The Coalition of Northern Groups has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against yielding to pressure from the state governors agitating for the introduction of the state police system.
The National Coordinator of the coalition, Jamilu Charanci, on Wednesday, during an exclusive interview with Arewa PUNCH, particularly warned against the introduction of state police in the north, saying it is not the solution to the problems of banditry and terrorism that the north is currently facing.
“The solution to the spate of heavy banditry attacks and other forms of terrorism that the north is currently facing is not in the creation of state police,” Charanci declared.
While further commenting on reports that President Bola Tinubu is under pressure to implement the state police system, the CNG national coordinator argued that Nigeria is not ripe yet to run the state police system, stressing that governors could easily manipulate it to serve their personal political interests.
Charanci, who took a cue from the present level that the various state electoral commissions have been reduced to alleged that they have been reduced to tools of the governors who often deploy them to undermine democratic principles.
He said, “Look at how state governors have handled the local governments. They have crippled local government autonomy to the point that local councils now resemble mortuaries. If we allow state police, the same abuse will repeat itself.”
The CNG leader further expressed fears that the introduction of the state police could worsen insecurity rather than solve it, citing international examples where similar policies failed.
In Mexico, state police later became tools for drug cartels. In Somalia, it was hijacked by politicians, a situation that forced the government to abolish it and create a national guard.
“Nigeria’s political environment is even more fragile, with corruption, ethnicity, and religion playing strong roles,” Charanci observed.
He insisted that the federal and state governments must instead demonstrate sincerity of purpose in tackling insecurity rather than looking for shortcuts.
Charanci, while wondering why security agencies appear helpless against bandit leaders’ onslaught, echoed, “Who is Bello Turji that the Nigerian Army can not defeat? Even the Mobile Police, if properly equipped, can deal with bandits.
“Nigerians have excelled in United Nations peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Liberia, so why not at home?” he queried.
The coalition maintained that the fight against insecurity requires genuine political will and sincerity from the leadership, not the creation of state police that may become another weapon in the hands of politicians.
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