APC Governors Endorse Tinubu’s State Policing Model After Benue Visit

Nigerian governors have thrown their collective support behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposed security initiative that emphasizes the establishment of state-led policing structures to combat insecurity nationwide.

The decision emerged from a high-level meeting involving the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), shortly after Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State.

Hope Uzodimma, the Governor of Imo State and chairman of the PGF, announced the endorsement, stating that the forum had unanimously agreed to adopt the president’s long-advocated community-based policing framework as a supplement to federal efforts.

“In our deliberations following the President’s visit to Benue, we thoroughly assessed the current security challenges and concluded that a decentralized model was urgently needed,” Uzodimma said.

He noted that Imo State had already implemented this approach by deploying security structures at the grassroots level, leading to noticeable improvements in threat response and public trust.

According to Uzodimma, Imo’s model integrates intelligence gathering, civic engagement, and lawful enforcement, and it continues to evolve as a dynamic and effective strategy.

While awaiting further security guidelines from the federal government, Uzodimma reaffirmed the governors’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding citizens, emphasizing that upholding security remains their foremost constitutional responsibility.