President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured Nigerians that community and state policing will soon become a reality once the National Assembly completes the required legislative inputs, saying the move will mark a decisive shift in the country’s security approach.
The President gave the assurance yesterday while receiving a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), led by its President, Daniel Okoh, at his residence in Lagos.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said his administration’s ongoing recalibration of the nation’s security architecture was designed to deliver tangible results, adding that new approaches would change Nigeria’s security narrative and restore public confidence.
“The mood of the nation is peaceful, although our ungoverned spaces are so large. The challenge is real, but we will surmount it,” the President said, calling for vigilance, cooperation and sustained engagement with faith-based groups.
He stressed that legislative backing was critical to the take-off of sub-national policing.
“Community and State Police will be a reality once the National Assembly completes the required legislative inputs,” Tinubu said, explaining that security reforms required patience, especially in the procurement of military hardware.
The President noted that delays in acquiring equipment, particularly air assets, had affected public perception, but insisted the government was not relenting.
“Military hardware is difficult to replace. It is expensive and not available off the shelf. Our orders for four attack helicopters from the United States of America will take some time to arrive. We have approached Turkey for assistance,” he said.
Tinubu said the administration remained focused on restoring peace and prosperity despite the evolving tactics of bandits and insurgents.
On the recent abduction and subsequent release of schoolchildren in Niger and Kebbi states, he urged vigilance, adding that outcomes mattered more than rhetoric.
“The rhetoric on how the children were released or what happened to the kidnappers is secondary; the end justifies the means,” he said.
