The Borno State government has kicked against the establishment of state police in the country.
The Secretary of the National Economic Council, Nebeolisa Anako, disclosed this in a text message sent to newsmen on Sunday.
Anako, who was responding to an inquiry by newsmen, said nearly all the 36 state governors had submitted their reports on state police, with many of them positive except for Borno State.
“Almost all, and mostly positive.
Borno is the only state against,” Anako said in the text message sent.
Peoplesmind reports that in 2021, the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, stated that Nigeria was not ripe for state police.
The governor had while delivering a lecture at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru, Plateau State, said decentralising the police force would worsen the security challenges in the country.
“Nigeria is not mature for state police. Some state governors can use it to wipe away other tribes apart from their tribes,” he was quoted as saying.
There have been calls for the establishment of state police as a panacea for insecurity in the country.
As a result of this, President Bola Tinubu on February 15 agreed to the establishment of state police in the country after meeting with some governors.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who disclosed this to journalists said there will be a series of meetings to fine-tune the modalities for setting up state police.
On February 20, a bill seeking the amendment to the 1999 Constitution to empower governors to appoint state commissioners of police scaled second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.
The bill was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, and 14 others.
The initiative sparked debate across the country, with figures like the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, objecting to its establishment.
Peoplesmind
