Leaders from Afenifere and Northern socio-political groups have called on President Tinubu to act swiftly on the long-promised state police, asserting that its initiation is long overdue. Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, welcomed the President’s renewed commitment but expressed concern that bureaucratic delays have stalled implementation beyond reasonable timelines. He noted that state-level policing has been discussed since 2024 and urged the National Assembly to enact constitutional amendments to facilitate its immediate commencement.
However, the Northern Youth Council (NYCN) has strongly opposed the move, describing it as a misplaced priority that would exacerbate existing security challenges. Its National President, Isah Abubakar, argued that Nigeria’s current police structures suffer from systemic underfunding and personnel shortages, and that creating a parallel force would duplicate inefficiencies and risk political abuse.