Former Deputy National Chairman, South-West, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has underscored the urgent need for state police to address the rising insecurity in Nigeria. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, George emphasized that state police would be instrumental in reducing insurgency.

“The constitutional conference committee under former president Jonathan stated that the need to have state police cannot be futuristic, it is so urgent,” George remarked. He elaborated on the unique challenges posed by insurgency, explaining, “When you go to war, you have a defined enemy, but in this case, it is an insurgency, insecurity within. You don’t know who is who; they can come out in the day and pretend to be part of one area, but at night they turn out to be something else.”

George argued that community-based policing is essential, stating, “People within their community should police them. They know themselves, they know the do’s and don’ts of that culture, and they know the rules of the people in that culture. They would be better off managing any issues within their communities. For God’s sake, we need the state police.”

Calls for state police have intensified in recent years amid escalating insecurity in the country. Political and religious leaders have voiced their support for this measure at various forums. In mid-February, President Bola Tinubu and the governors of the 36 states agreed on the necessity of state police to curb the growing security challenges in Nigeria.

Approximately a month later, 16 governors submitted their reports to the National Economic Council (NEC), expressing their support for the creation of state police and the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to facilitate this. The decisions of the remaining 20 governors are still awaited.