President Bola Tinubu and state governors, yesterday, agreed to establish state police in the country as part of measures to check the rising wave of insecurity in the country.
This was one of the six high points of an emergency meeting summoned by the President at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, in view of economic hardship in the country and upsurge of insecurity in different parts of the country.
The emergency meeting also had in attendance Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Nyesom Wike.
Specifically, President Tinubu approved the establishment of a committee comprising state governors and representatives of the Federal Government to, among other things, explore modalities for establishing state police.
The President and the state governors also discussed the possibility of improving the numerical strength of forest rangers to train them so that they can keep our forests and borders very safe.
Following a spike in insecurity across the country, there have been calls by some stakeholders and ethnic nationalities groups for establishment of state police as was practiced in the First Republic before it was abolished by the Military.
Currently, many states have vigilante groups and the South-West zone has Amotekun The President also directed security chiefs especially the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Director-General of the Department of State Service, DSS, Yusuf Bichi; and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to crack down on those hoarding food commodities and bring them to book.
It will be recalled that since President Tinubu on May 29 said “subsidy is gone”inauguration speech, the economy has witnessed a downward spiral with the attendant hardship and high cost of living leading to protests in some states of the country.