THE national economic council (NEC) postponed discussions on creating state police for the third time, blaming time constraints from lengthy presentations at its Thursday meeting.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima chaired the council meeting at the State House in Abuja, with state governors attending, including Ibok-Ete Ibas, sole administrator of Rivers. Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), and Yemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), also joined the meeting.
Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa, told reporters afterwards that state police appeared on the agenda, but time ran out before they could address it.
“For your information, state police was part of our agenda today,” Diri said.
“But unfortunately, because of the time demands — we have been there for a very long time — and the lengthy presentations, we were unable to get to that bit of it.
“I can assure you that in our next meeting, the issue will be exhaustively discussed.”
This marks the third delay in state police discussions since late 2023. All 36 states (excluding the FCT) submitted their positions to the NEC in November 2024, with most reportedly supporting the proposal amid growing insecurity.
NEC first moved the decision from November 2024 to January 2025 to allow more stakeholder engagement and complete a comprehensive report. An emergency governors’ summit then delayed the January meeting.
Many expected the April session to address the matter, but time limitations forced another postponement. NEC emphasised the need for thorough consultation and documentation before making a final decision.
“While we did not get to discuss state police today, the council is aware of the gravity of the security situation and remains committed to finding sustainable solutions,” Diri stated.
During the meeting, council members observed a minute’s silence for victims of recent violent attacks in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, and Kwara states, where attackers killed over 100 people. Diri explained that this gesture showed sympathy and solidarity.
Meanwhile, Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate leader, announced that the national assembly now works on legal frameworks to establish state police as part of efforts to address insecurity.
“While the authority of the national assembly is in the process of developing legal frameworks for the establishment of state police as one of the measures to address insecurity in the country, we urge security agencies to work together as a team to track and apprehend all the masterminds and sponsors of terror attacks nationwide,” Bamidele said.