Governors of the 36 states of the federation yesterday met in Abuja to strategise ways of nipping in the bud the deteriorating security challenges in the country.
The meeting which started at about 9:21 pm was still ongoing as at press time. The governors had invited the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, to brief them on the issue in order to reach key resolutions on the ugly trend.
Scores of innocent citizens have been killed in recent attacks in Plateau, Benue and Niger States among others following the prevailing insecurity in the areas. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on Tuesday sent a delegation to Benue led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu regarding the killings.
Daily Trust reports that state governors have been walking a tight rope following the security challenges being faced by citizens in the country.
Some citizens have argued that the situation is deteriorating despite efforts by state governors under the umbrella of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the federal government to bring it to a halt.
Security experts have said it is worrisome that governors who are the Chief Security Officers of their states appear helpless after series of meetings and resolutions on security issues in the country.
Daily Trust reports that despite several efforts, there is a resurgence of the Boko Haram attacks in the North East. Similarly, bandits are known for killings and kidnapping innocent Nigerians in the North West region.
New terror groups keep springing up, the recent being the Lakurawa and the Mahmuda, which are killing innocent Nigerians in Kebbi, Niger and other states in the North West and North Central.
There are also incessant killings of innocent Nigerians in Benue and Plateau States in the North Central despite efforts by governors and the federal government to stem the tide. The South East, South West and South South are not an exemption.
Why govs are helpless – Expert
Weighing in on the development, a Certified Gold Member, International Security Association Switzerland and Fellow, International institute of Professional Security (IIPS), Jackson Lekan Ojo, said the governors lacked the legal powers to initiate certain measures to end insecurity in their states.
Ojo called for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to provide more powers to the governors on issues related to tackling insecurity.
He, however, advised state governors to tackle the high rate of unemployment, poverty, hunger, and illiteracy in the land, saying this would go along way in reducing the spate of killings and kidnappings in the country.
He said, “There is what they call self consolation, and self consolation is very deceptive. They have given them a particular title, that they are the Chief Secueity Officers of their respective states, just like the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
“But unfortunately, there is no state governor in Nigeria today, that has right over the commissioner of police in his state. There is no governor that has right over the Director of DSS in the state. They don’t have right over garrison commander and all that.
“Now, even if they form vigilante or community policing or whatever, they still need the approval of the National Security Adviser before they can get arms and ammuntions for them.
“It is the president through the Office of the NSA that can permit them to carry arms and ammuntions. There is no governor today in Nigeria that can just recruit the police. The federal government does that.”
