Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has stated that the establishment of state police will significantly address insecurity in Nigeria by granting governors genuine authority as chief security officers of their states. He made this declaration while participating as a panellist at the Arise News Town Hall Summit: Building a National Consensus for State Police & National Security, held at the Thisday Dome in Abuja.
Command and Control Structure Must Be Under Governors
Governor Lawal observed that insecurity has persisted in states because the command and control structure of security forces has not been under the chief executives. He argued that when state governments are responsible for the security of lives and property within their domains, the police would be better equipped and have more personnel to tackle crime effectively.
“We’re being called chief security officers of our respective states; however, the command and control structure is not under the governors,” Lawal said. “I am happy with the recent development of state police because it allows us to keep to our responsibilities and for our people also to hold us accountable as far as the security situation is concerned in our respective states.”
State Police Will Solve Security Challenges
The governor further emphasised, “I strongly believe that, by the time we have state police, it will go a long way in solving a lot of the challenges, and we can then bear our names as proper chief security officers of our respective states.” He dismissed claims of potential abuse by state executives, noting that almost all states already operate one or more security apparatuses, and none have been used to oppress opposition parties.
However, Governor Lawal urged lawmakers to put measures in place to prevent any possible abuse. “I support state police. I recognise people’s fears of possible abuse, but with the right processes in place, those fears will be allayed,” he said.
Summit Aims to Build National Consensus
The Arise News Town Hall Summit aimed to build consensus on state police and broader national security reforms, as concerns over insecurity continue to dominate public discourse across Nigeria. The event brought together national security leaders, governors, lawmakers, civil society organisations, policy experts, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders to deliberate on strategies to secure communities and protect lives across the country.
