Insecurity: Why govs should meet with Buhari, NASS over state policing – Afenifere

Amid the heightening insecurity in the country, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has urged state governors to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly.

Afenifere said state governors should meet with Buhari and the National Assembly on the need to establish state policing.

In a statement by its spokesman, Jared Ajayi, the body called on the Federal, state governments and security agencies to halt the hike in insecurity breaches in the country to prevent the establishment of camps for the Internally Displaced People, IDPs, in the southern part of the country.

Afenifere observed that the spate of attacks on communities and on individuals in the South has escalated thus engendering fears in the people in regard to their personal safety.

The statement reads: “Afenifere urge the state governors to meet President Muhammadu Buhari and leadership of the National Assembly on the need to establish state police ‘as a matter of urgent necessity.

“From all indications, state governors have a lot of clout because the Constitution invests them with a lot of powers. They should, as chief security officers of their respective states, impress it on the powers that be in Abuja that the country is now in such a serious crossroads security wise that they must be allowed to take the bull by the horn. They can do this by having state police.

“When coming to power, President Buhari promised Nigerians to tackle at least three main afflictions bedevelling the country; insecurity, corruption and the dwindling economy. In none of the three key areas can Nigerians doff their hats for the administration seven years down the line.

“Reports of armed attacks on communities, religious places, farmlands and sometimes homes occur almost every week if not daily in different parts of the country. Such used to be restricted to the north, north-east especially. But today, it has spread even to the South which used to be safe.”

The displacement of people by terrorists and militias led to the setting up of camps for those who survived attacks on their settlements.

Reports have it that people running into millions are in various IDP camps in different parts of some Northern states.