The United States government has maintained the need for Nigeria to look inwards for a unique solution to the challenges of law enforcement and policing in the country.
Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Jason Smith, stated this during a stakeholders’ dialogue on insecurity and state policing organised by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) under the aegis of the Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS) in Abuja on Thursday.
He stated: “The U.S. government acknowledge the array of challenges currently confronting Nigeria. As previously mentioned, both our countries operate under similar federal systems, yet approach law enforcement differently. Other nations have their own unique methods.
“My purpose here isn’t to dictate solutions to Nigeria, or to prescribe a perfect remedy for enhancing service provision or policing. There’s always room for improvement, but it must stem from a solution intrinsic to Nigeria.”
RULAAC Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, highlighted the urgency of the debate, driven by escalating kidnappings, banditry and perceived inadequacies of current police structure.
Nwanguma explained: “The decision by the President and state governors to establish state police is a response to these challenges. However, the debate is complex, with concerns over potential abuse of power and politicisation.”
MEANWHILE, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, 19 governors of the Northern states and Service Chiefs, yesterday, held a meeting in the Office of the NSA (ONSA), to review security situation in Northern Nigeria and possibly proffer lasting solution. The meeting, which was held behind closed-door.
It started around 1:30p.m. and ended at 6:00p.m.Terrorists had on March 7, abducted over 200 students and teachers from the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga in Chikun local government area of Kaduna State. Also, 112 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Gamboru Ngala LGA of Borno State were abducted by terrorists days earlier while 15 Tsangaya students were also abducted in Sokoto State last weekend.
The chairman, Northern Governors’ Forum, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, said the meeting was convened to discuss and review strategies towards tackling cases of insecurity in the North.
The governor added that the need for a collaborative approach to tackling insecurity in the region necessitated the meeting. He stressed the need for non-kinetic and kinetic approaches to address the remote causes of insecurity.
