State Police/Regional Security Outfit: Northern Govs Lack Foresight – CNG

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has accused Northern governors of lacking in foresight for failing to create a regional security outfit to protect their citizens.

Naija News reports that the coalition is reacting to the approval of the bill by the House of Representatives seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow the creation of state police and legalize regional security outfits.

Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary and sponsor of the bill, Onofiok Luke, said the bill will decentralise the current police system by moving police from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List.

He added that the bill seeks to alter the Constitution “to provide for state police and other state government security services to enhance security and preservation of lives and properties in Nigeria”.

Reacting, CNG spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, berated the Northern governors for failing to create an alternative security outfit that could be collapsed into state police when the bill seeking its establishment is passed.

The coalition also described the bill seeking to establish state police as a ploy by the federal government to abdicate its responsibilities.

It asked northern governors to explain the reason for rejecting a northern regional security outfit including the Shege ka Fasa initiative introduced by the CNG in 2020 without coming up with an alternative.

CNG added the South would only need to convert their already established and kitted outfits such as Amotekun and Ebubeagu into state police while the North would only be starting its own security outfit.

It, however, claimed that the Southern regional networks are being used by the governors to harass and intimidate northerners living in the region.