The National Economic Council (NEC) has issued a firm deadline of Monday, September 9, for four states yet to submit their reports on the establishment of state police.
The NEC, which convened on Wednesday under the leadership of Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, also resolved to adopt the comprehensive reports from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday. Any state failing to submit its report before the deadline will be bound by whatever decision is made.
Acting Governor of Oyo State, Abdulraheem Lawal, briefed State House correspondents, noting that the call for state police was prompted by escalating security challenges across various regions, including the Northeast, Northcentral, Southwest, Southeast, and South-South. The NEC had previously urged all states to provide input on the matter to ensure robust national security.
“An update on the establishment of State police was considered due to the security challenges across the nation. NEC had last year considered the establishment of state police and asked states to make their submissions,” Lawal explained. He added that four states had yet to comply, and NEC has mandated these states to submit their reports by Monday, or else any decision taken will be binding on them.
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Although Lawal did not name the states, sources privy to the meeting identified them as Adamawa, Kwara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and the Federal Capital Territory. One of the four states reportedly claimed to have already submitted its report.
In addition to the discussions on state police, the NEC also addressed the issue of flooding, which has devastated several states. Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State revealed that the Federal Government has released N3 billion to provide relief to flood-affected areas. He highlighted the severe impact of flooding, particularly in the Northeast, where major infrastructure, such as the Kano-Maiduguri artery, has been severely damaged, leading to loss of lives, destruction of property, and disruption of livelihoods.
Mohammed stressed the need for collaboration among all tiers of government to ensure food security, as farmlands have been submerged, threatening this year’s harvest. He noted that state governments have been instructed to submit an inventory of flood damages by Monday to facilitate comprehensive relief measures.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State further emphasized the need for a structured response to the flooding crisis, stating that the NEC has reconstituted the Flood Committee. The new committee includes governors from Kogi, Bayelsa, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, and Jigawa states, along with key federal officials and agencies. This committee will oversee the ongoing efforts to address the flood crisis and ensure that interventions are not ad-hoc but part of a well-coordinated governance structure.
