Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal has said he cannot take full responsibility for the state’s worsening security situation because he does not have control over the police and other security agencies.
Speaking on ARISE News on Tuesday, the governor expressed deep frustration over the current security structure, which he said limits his power, despite being called the chief security officer of the state.
“I can tell the police commissioner, this is what I want him to do. And he will tell me that, no, sir, let me hear from my superiors,” Lawal said.
He added that the same issue happens with the army and civil defence officers, who all take instructions from the federal government and not the state government.
“That is why we’re advocating for state police. Because if we do that, I think that will go a long way,” he said. “But for now, I can’t take full responsibility of the security situation in this state, because I don’t have the command and control of these people.”
Governor Lawal said a locally controlled police force would make it easier for governors to act quickly and take full charge of protecting lives and property. He said such a force would also allow governors to properly equip and train the officers to understand and tackle local threats.
“When I know I have my police, at least they’re listening to me, I’ll be the one to provide everything for them,” he said. “The most important thing is to have the legal backing, legal authority to be able to acquire arms and be able to train these people very well, because they understand the trend better.”
He said Nigeria’s security challenges, especially in states like Zamfara, can be better managed if governors have full control of their own police.
“If we have our own police, it means we are in charge,” Lawal said. “We should be able to command. We should be able to tell them what to do and not to do. So I think it is the easiest thing to do, because we know these people very well, we live with these people.”
