President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that the proposed creation of state police will include safeguards to prevent abuse by state governors.
The President gave the assurance on Thursday, July 30, while receiving members of the Oyo State Council of Obas, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at the State House in Abuja.
Tinubu said the proposed state police structure would operate with checks and balances, adding that traditional rulers would also have a role in ensuring accountability. “There will be state police. That state police will have guardrails from abuses. We’ll protect it from abuses, and you traditional rulers too will have roles to play,” he said.
He also said the Federal Government is strengthening the country’s security architecture by enhancing the capacity of forest guards. “We are equally enhancing the capacity and capability of the forest guards; they are not just to chase antelopes and animals. We are going to have them chase the criminals and deal with them in various forests,” Tinubu added.
The President disclosed that the Federal Government recently created four additional divisions of the Nigerian Army, bringing the total number to 12, to improve the military’s ability to respond swiftly to security threats across the country.
He commended members of the armed forces for rescuing abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, saying the operation succeeded because the government refused to negotiate with the kidnappers.
“Congratulations on the Oriire rescue that succeeded. I think we succeeded with your support, prayers, and I agree with you that we should commend the men and women of the armed forces for their excellent performance. On behalf of them, I accept your message, and I will forward the same message on,” he said.
“We refused to negotiate. These criminals wanted us to review the release from detention, members of their criminal gangs that were already arrested. That was one of their conditions, aside from the money they’re looking for. And I said, ‘no deal,’ we are not going to negotiate with criminals. They committed murder.
“Some of them are non-Nigerians, you know, you see the problem of insecurity in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic is adding more fuel to our challenges.” Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious individuals and activities within their communities, describing intelligence gathering as essential to tackling insecurity.
On the economy, the President said Nigeria’s fiscal position has improved and that state governments are now receiving higher allocations than before. He advised governors to prioritise the construction and rehabilitation of roads that improve connectivity and allow security agencies easier access to remote communities, rather than building unnecessary flyovers.
Earlier, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, thanked the President for the successful rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers and commended his administration’s achievements. The monarch also advocated true federalism, saying it would accelerate development across the country’s regions, and called for constitutional roles for traditional rulers.
“We believe in your Renewed Hope Agenda. It is clear you are Renewing our Hope in infrastructure and fixing our abandoned roads,” Ladoja said. “We traditional rulers must ensure this administration completes its tenure. We know it’s a difficult job, and we are ready at any point in time to give you our own opinion, our own advice, and also our own prayers. We continue to pray for you, Mr. President, so that by the time you do your bit, and I look at it that you are, now, and that has been shown in the Oriire issue.”
Earlier this month, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said one of the proposed safeguards against abuse of state police would be an independent funding mechanism from the Federal Government.
