Alia renews call for state police as IGP Tunji Disu visits Benue

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening security through sustained collaboration with security agencies, renewing his call for the establishment of state police as a lasting solution to Nigeria’s security challenges.

Alia made the call on Thursday during a town hall meeting with the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, at the Old Banquet Hall, Government House, Makurdi, during the police chief’s operational assessment visit to the state.

The governor described the visit as timely and reassuring, saying it reflected the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to improving internal security, deepening community policing and working with state governments to tackle insecurity. He lamented the persistent attacks and killings in Benue, warning that continued violence in the state’s farming communities poses a serious threat to national food security.

Alia said his administration had continued to support security agencies with operational vehicles, motorcycles, communication gadgets and other logistics, while promoting inter-agency collaboration through regular Security Council meetings, intelligence sharing and coordinated operations. He also pledged the state’s full support for the proposed 14-day security operation across the state.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for the Federal Government’s support in tackling insecurity and praised the Benue State Commissioner of Police for initiating grassroots community engagement, particularly among youths, with plans to expand the initiative across the state.

Speaking on state policing, the governor said the debate should no longer be about whether Nigeria needs state police but how to make it operational.

“The conversation should no longer be about whether Nigeria needs state police but how to make it operational,” Alia said, arguing that officers with local knowledge of the terrain and communities would significantly improve security outcomes.

He urged traditional rulers, community leaders and residents to support security agencies with credible intelligence and promote peaceful coexistence, stressing that security is a collective responsibility.