The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council have formally endorsed the establishment of state police, marking one of the strongest regional calls yet for a restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture in response to escalating violence across the North.
The position was announced in a jointly signed communiqué issued on Monday after a high-level meeting held at the Council Chamber of the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna. The meeting brought together the governors of all 19 northern states alongside the chairmen of their respective traditional councils, making it one of the largest security discussions the region has held in recent years.
The communiqué, signed by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, who serves as the Chairman of the NSGF, underscored that northern Nigeria is at a critical turning point and that addressing the region’s insecurity requires unified action, peer review, and deeper cooperation among all stakeholders.
A Unified Stand on State Police
For the first time in many years, northern governors and the region’s traditional rulers have jointly declared “wholehearted support” for the establishment of state police—an institutional reform long debated at both federal and state levels.
The communiqué noted that the current centralised policing system is overstretched and unable to adequately respond to the diverse and evolving security threats across the northern region, which spans vast rural and urban territories.
According to the Forum, the creation of state police is now unavoidable, given the magnitude of challenges posed by terrorism, banditry, communal conflicts, kidnapping, violent extremism, and organised criminality.
The Forum therefore called on northern members of both the National Assembly and State Assemblies to “expedite action for its actualisation,” signalling a concerted political push from the region to bring state policing into reality.
This stance reflects a growing recognition across Nigeria’s political spectrum—including from southern states and civil society groups—that devolving policing powers may be key to restoring order in communities where federal policing has failed to keep pace with rising insecurity.
Condolences and Solidarity Amid Escalating Violence
In its communiqué, the Forum expressed grief and solidarity with northern states affected by recent violent attacks. It offered deep condolences to Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Kano states, all of which have witnessed killings, mass abductions of schoolchildren, and other acts of terror in recent weeks.
The governors also extended special solidarity to Borno and Yobe states, which have seen renewed Boko Haram activity, raising fears of a resurgence of extremist violence in the Lake Chad region.
The Forum stressed that ensuring the safety of citizens remains its highest constitutional responsibility and vowed to approach insecurity “with firmness and clarity.”
Illegal Mining Identified as Major Security Threat
The governors identified illegal mining as one of the most significant drivers of insecurity across the North. According to them, illicit mining operations have become intertwined with banditry, arms trafficking, kidnapping, and other criminal networks.
This connection between illegal mining and violence has been documented in states such as Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, and Katsina, where criminal groups have used proceeds from illegal mineral extraction to finance weapons and sustain their operations.
To address this, the Forum resolved to recommend that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to suspend all mining exploration nationwide for six months. The suspension, they said, would allow for a full audit of mining activities and proper revalidation of all licences in partnership with state governments.
The governors stressed that such drastic action is necessary to “arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” which has become a magnet for organised crime and a destabilising factor in rural communities.
Northern Regional Security Trust Fund Approved
Perhaps the most significant financial commitment emerging from the meeting is the approval of a Northern Regional Security Trust Fund. Under this arrangement, each of the 19 northern states, along with their local government councils, will contribute ₦1 billion monthly—deducted at source—to a centralised security fund.
This fund will be used to support joint regional security operations, enhance intelligence sharing, strengthen border monitoring, and provide logistical support for military and police operations.
The Forum explained that establishing this fund is critical, given the scale of insecurity facing the region. They emphasised that without reliable and sustained financing, security agencies cannot effectively confront the growing threats.
Analysts say this commitment, amounting to billions monthly, signals a profound shift in regional cooperation and could lay the groundwork for a more coordinated northern response to insecurity.
Calls for Unity and Renewed Commitment
Throughout the communiqué, the Forum stressed the importance of unity and collaboration. It commended governors, traditional rulers, security agencies, and local communities for their resilience and ongoing efforts to stabilise the region.
The governors noted that overcoming northern Nigeria’s challenges requires not only structural reforms such as state police, but also improved intelligence gathering, stronger community engagement, and continued cooperation between states.
They described the region’s present condition as “a defining moment” and urged leaders at all levels to remain steadfast in their commitment to peace, stability, and development.
A Turning Point in Nigeria’s Security Debate
The northern governors’ full endorsement of state police marks a dramatic shift in Nigeria’s political landscape. Historically, resistance to state policing has been strongest in parts of the North, where fears of political misuse, ethnic tensions, and resource limitations dominated the debate.
However, with insecurity worsening and federal policing stretched thin, northern leaders appear ready to support bold reforms.
This development is expected to influence ongoing discussions around constitutional amendments and restructuring of Nigeria’s security institutions. It may also encourage the presidency and the National Assembly to move more quickly on legislation enabling state police.
The joint meeting of northern governors and traditional rulers represents one of the most significant regional responses yet to Nigeria’s deepening insecurity crisis.
By supporting state police, establishing a regional security fund, and recommending a suspension of mining activities linked to criminal networks, northern leaders have signalled their readiness to embrace structural changes to confront the threats destabilising their communities.
As the region continues to grapple with terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes, the decisions taken in Kaduna could shape the direction of national security reforms in the months ahead, and possibly redefine the future of policing in Nigeria.
