The rising number of killings in Nigeria, especially the recent violence in Plateau, Benue, and Enugu States, has been attributed by the Presidency to state governors.

Despite winning significant security votes, the president reportedly chastised the governors for failing to adequately finance security agencies.

These statements were delivered by Daniel Bwala, the President’s Special Advisor on Policy Communication, when he appeared on TVC’s Beyond the Headlines program on Monday night with Nifemi Oguntoye.

Bwala pointed out that even if their states have security votes worth between ₦1 billion and ₦3 billion, some governors only give ₦20 million a month to the army, police, and State Security Service (SSS).

Unfortunately, we are discovering that in certain states, the governors allocate ₦20 million per month to the army, ₦20 million to the police, and ₦20 million to the SSS in order to combat insecurity. They have a security vote that ranges from ₦1 billion to ₦2 billion to ₦3 billion. Where are we heading? Bwala asked.

Weak Local Governance and State Police Demand
Bwala contended that the increasing need for state police is a cover for the shortcomings of local government. He claimed that although state governments currently possess the tools and legislation required to fight insecurity, they are not making good use of them. He proposed that if governors increased funding to assist federal security agencies in their efforts, the amount of carnage may be decreased.

“Within the current framework of the state’s security architecture, there are still people who think that if we know what it takes, we can deal with insecurity,” Bwala stated. What is required to accomplish that? For instance, the SSS, police, military, and paramilitary are present in every state. Then, each state is free to establish a quasi-paramilitary group and secure official backing to handle legal matters.

He underlined that governors with security votes of between ₦2 billion and ₦3 billion might use some of these monies to purchase necessary security gear, like as surveillance systems, cars, and drones.

Bwala criticized governors for not investing in these resources, especially in light of criminals using sophisticated technologies such as drones.

State Police Are Not the Quick Fix
Bwala acknowledged the need for increased security but questioned whether state police would be feasible, particularly for governors who are having difficulty funding salaries. He cautioned that many governments might not be able to support a new police force due to the associated costs.

“You want to establish another police system so that a governor who claims to be having trouble paying salaries can either pay them or collaborate with them at no cost by the time you establish a state police now?” Bwala argued. “Do we currently have the funds to maintain that?”

Bwala emphasized that state police should not be the only option for protecting lives in Nigeria, even though he did not completely reject the concept. He came to the conclusion that “we don’t have to wait for it before we can safeguard lives.”