A coalition of civil society and self-determination groups in the South-west of Nigeria, known as the Yoruba Assembly, has urged President Bola Tinubu to give an executive order on state police to address rising insecurity concerns in the country.

The coalition made the call at a summit titled: ‘Good Governance and the Crisis of Nationhood,’ which was held in Lagos on Tuesday.

Bringing together nearly 1,000 representatives from across the region, delegates said that insecurity in the country remains a threat that could tear the nation apart and prevent peaceful elections in 2027.

Consequently, they urged President Tinubu to issue an executive order directing states to recruit their own police forces to fight insurgency and terrorism.

In a statement issued after the summit and signed by the leader of the group, Mr Wale Osun, they appealed to the president to secure the buy-in of all governors to put an end to the spate of insecurity in the country.

Part of the statement read: “We are surprised that the successor to former IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Tunde Disu, is proposing an implementation process that may ultimately frustrate the prospect of the full implementation of state police.

“Nigeria is in a dire security situation that demands bold and decisive action. Input from the public, civil society, the academic community, traditional rulers, and state governors is essential, with far-reaching implications for the peace, prosperity and stability of the country.

“We urge the president to invoke an executive order that empowers mobile police units to be transferred to their states of origin. We also urge the president to expedite the implementation of the process leading to the institution of state police.

“The 60-month proposal is an illusion. It undermines the urgency of the situation and woefully fails to appreciate the perilous security situation in Nigeria.” (THISDAY)

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