News

Afenifere, northern leaders demand state police amid delays

Published

1 year ago

September 5, 2025

Barely 17 months after the Tinubu administration first expressed interest in establishing a decentralised police force, several sociopolitical groups, civil society organisations and ex-service men and women have intensified calls for its implementation.

This followed Tuesday’s meeting between President Bola Tinubu and eminent citizens of Katsina State, where he stated that the Federal Government will hasten the devolution of power to the sub-national levels and further equip recently deployed forest guards.

“I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create a state police,” Tinubu told the delegation led by Governor Dikko Radda.

On Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, welcomed the renewed call by the President.

Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Ajayi expressed hope that Tinubu would remove delays clogging the implementation pipeline before the end of 2025.

“As is well known, the idea of state police has been on the front burner for quite a while. We recall that Tinubu has never hidden his desire to have state police.

“Indeed, going by the posture of Mr. President, one had thought that the scheme would have taken off before now,” he stated.

Ajayi cited a briefing by the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, who, in February 2024, announced Tinubu’s renewed move to create state police after talks with state governors at the Aso Rock Villa.

“We have a feeling that for Tinubu to again openly describe state police as inevitable now means that the Federal Government is ready to have it take off,” he opined.

According to him, the National Chairman of Afenifere Executive Committee, Olu Falae, called the creation of state police “long overdue.”

On February 15, 2024, the FG, alongside the 36 states, began talks expected to culminate in the creation of state police. This formed part of the agreements reached at the emergency meeting between the President and state governors.

It followed pockets of killings and kidnapping recorded nationwide, hikes in food prices and economic hardship.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, who addressed journalists after the meeting, explained that the process was still in its infancy and would only take shape after more deliberations between stakeholders.

“The Federal Government and the state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police,” said Idris, adding that “this is still going to be further discussed. A lot of work must be done in that direction. But if our government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, this is a significant shift.”

Consequently, the National Economic Council requested each state to submit detailed reports outlining their positions and plans for implementing state police.

By March 2024, 16 states had submitted their reports, with the remaining states expected to submit theirs by May. However, the lagging states only submitted their reports in December 2024.

Although all 36 states had submitted reports, NEC has delayed full deliberations on the issue three times.

On April 24, 2025, the Council deferred talks on State Police until its next meeting.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to get to that bit of it,” Bayelsa Governor, Duoye Diri, told State House Correspondents after the Council’s 149th meeting at the Aso Rock Villa.

NEC meetings are held on the last Thursday of the month. However, the gatherings have been infrequent over the last couple of months.

At its last meeting in August, the Council gave Kwara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and the Federal Capital Territory until September 9 to submit their positions, with a final decision expected in January 2026.

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, confirmed that there is widespread agreement among state governments on the matter.

“Most of us agreed that the establishment of state police is the way forward. We have a lot of ungoverned space in Nigeria, and also we have a lot of deficit in terms of the number of boots on the ground,” Sani said.

The Afenifere spokesperson expressed regret that the Council had not convened another meeting since then to deliberate on the matter.

Ajayi said, “Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State, who spoke with the media after the meeting, cited lack of enough time as the reason for not discussing it.”

The renewed calls come amid a surge in brutal attacks across multiple regions in recent weeks. On August 19, an armed assault on a mosque in Unguwan Mantau, Malumfashi LGA of Katsina State, during dawn prayers killed at least 50 worshippers.

In the northwest, the military freed 76 hostages, including children, in airstrikes targeting kidnappers near Pauwa Hill, following an earlier attack that left dozens dead.

In Zamfara State, a cholera outbreak further magnified the crisis, with eight dead and over 200 infected, as health response was delayed due to bandit violence.

According to the National Human Rights Commission, at least 2,266 people were killed in the first half of 2025, more than double the 1,083 deaths recorded during the same period in 2024, and already surpassing the total of 2,194 for the whole of last year.

Analysts say the security vulnerabilities have increased, particularly in areas where the national police are sorely overstretched or inaccessible.

Calls for state-level policing have also intensified, with most proponents arguing that the nationally administered Nigeria Police Force is too centralised to manage localised security threats effectively. Security experts say that decentralisation could empower states to respond more quickly and tailor strategies to local needs. Critics counter that state forces could be politicised, used by governors to suppress opponents.

Afenifere asserted that it had been calling for state police since the Buhari years and described Tinubu’s body language as laudable.

It called on the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, take all necessary steps to enact appropriate law and/or amend the relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution to facilitate the immediate take-off of state police.

MBF queries Tinubu’s readiness on state police

The Middle Belt Forum questioned the President’s commitment to tackling insecurity, citing the delays despite rising insecurity in the country.

Speaking in Jos on Thursday, the Forum’s national President, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, expressed concern, noting that the group had constantly advocated state police because it aligns with true federalism.

“We have continually advocated for state police. Our reasons are quite simple: current policing in Nigeria is not in line with true federalism, Pogu said.

He explained that at independence, Nigeria had a two-tier policing system, with the native authority police performing well before its abolition by the military.

“Since then, we have been in a mess,” he lamented.

Pogu dismissed concerns of potential abuse of state police by governors, saying, “We pretend and say if we have a state police, the state governors will abuse it, as if the Federal Government is also free from abusing it.”

He urged the FG to expedite the implementation of state police, stressing, “It is long overdue.”

PANDEF demands action

For its part, the apex socio-political body of the South-South geo-political zone, Pan Niger Delta Forum, said the establishment of state police is long overdue, urging the FG to order a constitutional amendment to give effect to it.

PANDEF said the existing vigilante groups working with regular police and traditional institutions suggest that state police exist, but without the necessary legal backing.

It observed that with the present structure of the police, in which a Commissioner of Police is answerable to the Inspector General and not the Governor, who is the chief security officer of the state is a drawback.

PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr Obiuwevbi Ominimini, stated this while responding to questions from one of our correspondents on Thursday.

Ominimini stated, “PANDEF has been advocating for state police. That is one of the issues in the devolution of powers. We want more powers to be devolved to the sub-nationals.

“In Nigeria today, the insecurity is rising and it is only state policing that can help to curb the upsurge of insecurity. We want to emphasise that there is already the existence of state police. However, it has not been official.”

He continued, “What we are now advocating for is the legalisation of state police. For example, we have vigilantes working with traditional rulers, governors, and community leaders everywhere.

“In fact, in most police posts, the number of vigilantes that work with the police are more than the police themselves, which means there is already state policing, but it has not been legalised.

“So what we are saying is that the federal government should be sincere enough to legalise state policing. In fact, there should be a constitutional amendment to encourage state policing because the present structure, the structure of the Nigeria police, does not allow a commissioner of police to take instruction from the governor as against the instruction of IGP, AIG or DIG.”

Omonimini said state police will make the governors, who are the Chief Security Officers of their various states, effective.

On its part, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People said the issue of state police, whilst important, is not the most pressing challenge in the country.

MOSOP argued that there would be no need for state police if the FG addressed core economic issues that lead to insecurity.

The Movement’s Publicity Secretary, Oscar Imeabe, who made this statement, criticised the government for not prioritising its responsibilities.

Imeabe said state policing is not the solution to Nigeria’s security woes.

“It is unfortunate that we have a government that is going about wrong with its priorities in the country.

“As much as we have insecurity in the country, as much as insecurity is one of the major setbacks we are having in the country, we believe that state police are not the solution to the security challenges we are facing,” he stated.

He said the push for state police is political to give the governors more powers to actualise their ambitions at the 2027 polls.

“Some of these security issues are a result of economic aspects. It is not when you talk about insecurity; there are factors that contribute to it.

“The current hardship in the country is enough to create insecurity. When people are unable to find a source of income and economic hardship becomes too great, it can also create insecurity.

“Then decisions and policies of the government are another thing that causes insecurity, it is not something that came out of the moon, but sometimes as a result of government policies,” he stated.

The Jigawa Next Forum, a prominent youth advocacy group, called on the Northern Elders Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum, and other influential groups to pressure both state governors and the FG over State Police.

In a phone interview on Thursday with The PUNCH Correspondent, the Forum’s leader, Habu Isa, expressed frustration over the delay.

“The prolonged silence and lack of movement by the Nigerian government and northern governors reflect a worrying lack of urgency. Our people are losing lives every day and the delay undermines efforts to restore peace,” he stated.

Isa explained, “It’s imperative that these leaders unite and show real leadership by fast-tracking the state police policy, which has been languishing in bureaucratic limbo. We cannot afford more delays. Our lives matter, and we expect our government and leaders to act decisively.”

Supporting this view, Jigawa-based activist Shu’aibu Kafingana told one of our correspondents in a separate interview: “We have waited long enough. The implementation of state policing is critical to addressing localised insecurity effectively. The National Economic Council’s delay is unacceptable, and those responsible must be held accountable.”

“Young people in Jigawa and across the north deserve better protection. We urge our leaders not to be distracted by politics but focus on actionable security reforms,” Kafingana added.

A former Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu, criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the debate on state policing, accusing authorities of indecision and lack of sincerity.

“Reading the body language of the government of the day, it does appear to me that they have an approach-avoidance conflict. They want state police and its advertised advantages. But they do not know what it implies and how to go about it. And they are not consulting experts,” Ojukwu said.

According to him, the Federal Government is deliberately reluctant because the existing policing structure benefits those in power.

“On the other hand, the government is playing hide-and-seek. They know the present system favours them. The unitary police, erroneously called federal, favours the government of the day.

“An impoverished, ill-trained and ill-equipped police favours the establishment. A system where there is no constabulary independence, and where the police is tied to the apron strings of the president favours the government. ,” he argued.

Ojukwu also accused lawmakers of avoiding their responsibility on constitutional reforms to address state policing, adding that the government was insincere in tackling insecurity, as there was no will to apprehend criminals.

“The NASS knows what to do to amend section 214 of the Constitution, but there is no seriousness in that regard. The government is paying lip service to the protection of the lives of the citizens. Every now and then, they tell us that they have identified the sponsors of terrorism. But that is where it stops. On television. There is no will to apprehend the oil bunkerers, vandals, or the actual benefactors of kidnapping and banditry,” he said.

FG reacts

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has defended the Tinubu administration over the delays in implementing state policing.

He assured Nigerians that the initiative remains a top priority in the government’s broader security reform agenda.

Idris gave the assurance on Thursday in an interview with The PUNCH, amid growing public frustration over the country’s worsening insecurity and criticism of perceived federal inaction.

“President Bola Tinubu’s avowal to create a state police stemmed from the need to add a layer to the national security apparatus in the country,” Idris said.

He noted that the delay in operationalising state police should not be interpreted as a lack of political will.

“The President was also clear that the objective required working with the National Assembly leadership to dismantle political and bureaucratic bottlenecks that could stall the operationalisation of the state police,” he added.

Idris emphasised that the initiative is being approached with the seriousness it deserves.

“The idea, and the agitation for a state police in Nigeria, is not new, but the President is keen to have additional security buffers that will be indigenous to the communities across our vast country,” he said.

He further noted that, “President Tinubu is deeply concerned about the security situation and is doing everything to stem the tide, through our gallant security forces who are out there protecting our nation from the actions of subversive elements.

“Certainly, the state police, which requires legislative mainstreaming, underscores the President’s total commitment to addressing the security situation through a multi-pronged approach.”

Meanwhile, the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria has branded the creation of state police a “misplaced priority” that would do little to reform the nation’s beleaguered security architecture.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Kaduna, the NYCN National President, Isah Abubakar, said the plan threatens to compound existing problems, including underfunding, manpower shortages, inadequate welfare packages, poor equipment, and alleged corruption in security agencies.

“It is a misplaced priority. Creating state police is simply a waste of time. What we need is a commitment to fix and strengthen the current system,” Abubakar said.

He maintained that existing institutions, especially the Nigeria Police Force, struggle with systemic constraints, including inadequate budgets and staff, outdated logistics, and operational inefficiencies.

Abubakar noted that if the government was serious about tackling insecurity, “there must be a robust recruitment drive and proper welfare provisions within the NPF rather than broadening the scope with new agencies.”

Highlighting the political risks of a state-controlled police force, he warned that such an entity could become a tool for intimidation and suppression.

“Nigerian politicians are not yet mature enough to handle a security structure without federal oversight. We are convinced they will abuse the authority entrusted to state police and violate citizens’ fundamental rights,” he said.

Abubakar proposed the immediate inauguration of a committee to overhaul and expand the Nigeria Police Force. According to him, a nation with a population exceeding 200 million currently operates with fewer than 300,000 officers, which he considers inadequate.

“We are proposing a law enforcement body of at least five million officers. That number better aligns with contemporary demands and demographic realities.

“History will vindicate us. In moments of crucial national decisions like this, we must add our voice and say no to state police.

“The alternative is to build a stronger, better-resourced, and more accountable federal police force, not a politically segmented one,” he added.

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State Police Update: National Assembly collates reports from 30 state assemblies

Published

13 hours ago

October 30, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The National Assembly has commenced collation of reports from state Houses of Assembly on the proposed establishment of state police, with the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, saying the constitutional requirement for the reform had been met.

Bamidele disclosed this on Thursday while delivering a lecture to participants of Senior Executive Course 48 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State.

He said at least 30 state legislatures had approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026, surpassing the constitutional requirement of two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly.

According to him, the National Assembly will collate the reports, consider the positions of the state legislatures and pass a resolution by a simple majority in both chambers before transmitting the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

The Senate Leader, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the National Assembly intended to complete the remaining legislative processes by December 2026.

He said, “We are pleased to inform our constituents across the federation that state police has moved from rhetoric to reality. We have already received formal reports from the state Houses of Assembly and, as of today, no fewer than 30 states have approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026.

“By the provision of Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires the concurrence of not less than two-thirds of all state Houses of Assembly, the constitutional requirement for the alteration has been duly met. This is a historic milestone in our collective quest to re-engineer our security architecture and make it more responsive, more local, and more effective.

“What happens next is procedural, but critical. The National Assembly is now constitutionally obligated to consider the reports transmitted by the state Houses of Assembly, collate those reports, and pass a resolution by simple majority of members in both chambers. Once this resolution is passed, the Alteration Bill will be transmitted to the President and Commander-in-Chief for assent.

“We have set a clear timeline for ourselves. We intend to conclude all these legislative stages — consideration of reports, passage of resolution, and transmission for presidential assent — on or before December 2026,” the Senate Leader emphasised.

The proposed state police system is part of wider efforts to decentralise Nigeria’s security architecture amid persistent killings, kidnappings and other violent crimes across the country.

Under the existing policing structure, the Nigeria Police Force operates primarily as a centrally administered institution.

Proponents of state police argue that allowing states to establish their own police services would improve local intelligence gathering, response times and accountability.

However, concerns have been raised about the potential abuse of state police by governors and other political office holders, particularly against political opponents.

Bamidele said the proposed reform would operate within constitutional safeguards, oversight mechanisms and human rights protections.

He described the development as a significant breakthrough after more than 15 years of unsuccessful attempts to establish state police through constitutional reform.

“What this means is that state police is no longer a campaign promise or a subject of endless debate. It is now a constitutional reality. It means that the security of lives, private property and public assets occupies a prime place in the legislative agenda of the 10th National Assembly,” he said.

Bamidele said the proposed system would enable states to develop policing structures better suited to their local conditions.

He added that the reform was not intended to weaken the Federal Government but to strengthen Nigeria’s federal system by making security more responsive to local communities.

According to him, the objective was not to create state armies but state-led, community-anchored policing arrangements operating under clearly defined constitutional and operational standards.

The Ekiti lawmaker also credited the leadership of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, with supporting the reform, assuring Nigerians that the National Assembly would see the process through.

He said the National Assembly, under the leadership of Akpabio, “remains committed to delivering on the establishment of state police. We will not falter until every Nigerian, whether in Kuru, in Iyin-Ekiti, in Gusau or in Yenagoa, can sleep with both eyes closed.”

Beyond state police, Bamidele said the 10th National Assembly had prioritised legislation intended to address citizens’ welfare, economic development and institutional reforms.

He argued that the performance of the legislature should be assessed by the practical effects of its laws and interventions rather than the number of bills passed.

Bamidele listed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024; the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024; the four Tax Reform Acts of 2025; and the National Social Investment Programme Act among the measures passed by the current Assembly.

The Senate Leader also cited the Electoral Act, 2026, the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, the Investments and Securities Act, 2025, the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, 2024, and the Regional Development Commissions Acts.

He said the laws reflected a deliberate effort to use legislation to anticipate emerging challenges, strengthen public institutions and improve governance.

Bamidele said the impact of proactive lawmaking extended to national security, economic transformation, public financial management, electoral credibility, education, healthcare, technological innovation, environmental sustainability and relations among the different tiers of government.

On the relationship between the National Assembly and NIPSS, he called for stronger institutional collaboration to improve legislative foresight and policy development.

He maintained that the passage of laws alone was insufficient to guarantee good governance, stressing the need for effective implementation, funding and monitoring.

The senator said good laws must be relevant to citizens’ needs and capable of producing measurable improvements in their lives.

He, thus, observed that good governance “requires good laws. But good laws alone do not guarantee good governance.

“We require laws that are relevant, evidence-based, implementable, adequately funded, properly administered, effectively monitored, periodically reviewed and ultimately measured by their impact on citizens,” Bamidele stated.

Source: punchng.com

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FG pumps N5tn into military operations, read details

Published

13 hours ago

October 30, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Federal Government has disbursed N5.15tn in special intervention funds to the Nigerian military and related security agencies between November 2023 and September 2026, amid persistent insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country.

An analysis by The PUNCH of documents from the Federation Account Allocation Committee, obtained on Thursday, revealed that the government received N5.65tn into a dedicated special intervention account over the period, out of which N5.15tn had been disbursed, representing 91.15 per cent of the total funds.

The records showed that the intervention was financed through allocations from the Federation Account and other government revenue sources, including non-oil revenue and funds transferred from a FAAC withholding account.

The document, titled ‘Ledger of Special Intervention Programme for Nigerian Military September, 2026”, was prepared by the Federation Account Department of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and formed part of the records presented to the Technical Sub-Committee of FAAC at its meeting in Abuja on October 14, 2026.

According to the ledger, the N5.15tn was released through 30 payment transactions between November 8, 2023, and September 23, 2026, while the total receipts were recorded across 33 funding transactions.

The disbursements were separate from the regular annual budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Defence and other security institutions, indicating the scale of additional financial resources channelled towards security operations.

However, the records did not provide a breakdown of the specific military operations, equipment purchases, personnel costs or security projects financed with the money.

A breakdown of the transactions showed that the intervention programme commenced with a N100bn transfer on October 19, 2023, described as the September 2023 allocation.

The first payment of N100bn was made to the military on November 8, 2023, while another N100bn was received on November 20, 2023, and subsequently disbursed on December 20.

By the end of December 2023, the account had received N300bn and disbursed N300bn, leaving no outstanding balance.

The funding arrangement continued throughout 2024, with regular transfers of N100bn and corresponding payments to military and paramilitary agencies.

Between January and December 2024, the account received N1.2tn and disbursed the same amount, bringing cumulative receipts and payments to N1.5tn.

The transactions were largely recorded as monthly allocations under the special intervention programme, although the payment dates did not always correspond with the months for which the funds were allocated.

For instance, the January 2024 allocation was transferred on February 27, while the corresponding payment was made on March 1.

Similarly, the ledger showed that the programme entered a second phase in July 2024, beginning with a N100bn transfer on July 27.

The second phase continued into 2025, with the government maintaining the N100bn monthly funding pattern.

During the first nine months of 2025, the account received N900bn and disbursed N900bn, bringing cumulative payments to N2.4tn by September 1, 2025.

An analysis of the transactions, therefore, showed that N2.4tn was disbursed between November 2023 and September 2025, before the government significantly increased the scale of the intervention in 2026.

The records indicated that the funding arrangement changed considerably in 2026, with individual transfers rising from the previous N100bn monthly pattern to between N200bn and N500bn.

On March 18, 2026, the government transferred N200bn from the FAAC Withheld Account, described in the ledger as savings for March 2026.

The amount was followed by a N100bn payment to security agencies on March 16, although the payment preceded the recorded transfer by two days.

Another N250bn was transferred from non-oil revenue on May 18, 2026, while N130bn was paid to security agencies from the FAAC Withheld Account on May 25.

The ledger also recorded a N120bn payment to the Consolidated Pool Account II TSA on June 3, 2026.

This particular transaction differed from the other payments because it was not expressly described as a transfer to military or paramilitary agencies.

On June 16, 2026, the government transferred N400bn from non-oil revenue for May, which was reversed the same day.

The reversal was followed by a fresh transfer of N500bn from non-oil revenue, indicating that the earlier transaction was cancelled and replaced.

The same day, N500bn was paid to military and paramilitary agencies, marking one of the largest individual disbursements recorded under the programme.

Another N500bn was transferred from non-oil revenue on July 15, followed by a corresponding payment to military and paramilitary agencies on July 22.

The pattern continued in August, when N500bn was transferred on August 19 and paid out on the same date.

On September 16, another N500bn was transferred from non-oil revenue, while the corresponding payment was recorded on September 23.

The final entry in the ledger showed a further N500bn transfer from non-oil revenue on October 14, 2026, described as the September 2026 allocation.

Although the ledger was titled September 2026, the inclusion of the October 14 transaction indicated that its financial position incorporated the latest transfer recorded at the FAAC technical meeting.

The figures showed that the intervention account received N3.25tn in 2026 up to October 14, compared with N1.2tn throughout 2024.

This represented an increase of about 170.83 per cent over the entire amount received in 2024, despite the 2026 records covering only part of the year.

Payments recorded in 2026 amounted to N2.75tn, compared with N1.2tn in 2024, representing an increase of approximately 129.17 per cent.

The N2.75tn disbursed in 2026 also accounted for 53.40 per cent of the N5.15tn paid out under the programme since its commencement.

The analysis further showed that the government disbursed more under the special intervention programme in 2026 than the combined N2.4tn released between November 2023 and September 2025.

It also revealed that the programme had an outstanding balance of N500bn as of October 14, 2026, representing 8.85 per cent of the total N5.65tn received.

The balance arose after the latest N500bn transfer was recorded without a corresponding payment in the ledger.

Consequently, the outstanding amount represented funds available in the intervention account rather than money already disbursed to security agencies.

Despite the significant increase in funding, the country continues to grapple with security challenges across several regions.

In the North-East, the military has continued operations against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, while banditry and mass kidnappings remain major security concerns in parts of the North-West and North-Central regions.

Communities in several states have also experienced attacks by armed groups, resulting in deaths, displacement and disruption of farming and other economic activities.

The security challenges have placed pressure on government finances, as authorities continue to allocate substantial resources to military operations, intelligence gathering, logistics and the protection of vulnerable communities.

FG reviews strategy

Ina related development, the Federal Government has begun a review of the 2019 National Security Strategy to develop a new framework that addresses emerging threats, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime, food insecurity and climate change.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this on Thursday during the inauguration of a committee to review the existing strategy and formulate the National Security Strategy 2026.

Ribadu, who was represented by Major General Sarkin Bello (retd.), said Nigeria’s security environment had changed significantly since the last review in 2019, requiring a comprehensive reassessment of the country’s security priorities.

“Our national security landscape is undergoing rapid and profound transformations. Since the last review of our strategy in 2019, the domestic, regional and global security environments have changed dramatically, with intensity,” he said.

He noted that the country was confronted with multiple security challenges that required a broader strategic response.

“As you are aware, these problems range from terrorism, banditry and kidnapping to sophisticated cyber threats, misinformation, economic problems, food insecurity and environmental challenges, among others,” Ribadu said.

He said the new strategy would serve as a framework for coordinating national security, resilience and sustainable development, adding that it must reflect current realities while anticipating future threats.

Also, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Major General Evi Onumajuru (retd.), said the changing nature of security threats made a strategic realignment imperative.

He said traditional security challenges, including terrorism, insurgency and banditry, had become intertwined with non-kinetic threats such as cybercrime, economic vulnerabilities, food insecurity and climate change.

He added that the strategy must integrate the priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda by linking economic prosperity and good governance with human security and national defence.

Source: punchng.com

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10 things to know about applying for 2027 SAN rank

Published

1 day ago

October 29, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee has invited applications for the 2027 award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, with private legal practitioners required to pay a non-refundable processing fee of N5m and government-employed lawyers N2.5m.

The committee said the application portal would open on November 1, 2026, directing all candidates to complete the application process online and comply with its document submission requirements and deadlines.

PUNCH Online had reported Wednesday that Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee invited applications for the 2027 conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Here are 10 things prospective applicants need to know about the exercise.

1. Applications open on November 11

The LPPC said its application portal would open to the public at 12am on November 1, 2026.

Applications are to be processed through its official portal, www.lppconline.com.

2. Private legal practitioners will pay N5m

The committee fixed the non-refundable processing fee for private legal practitioners at N5m.

3. Government-employed lawyers will pay N2.5m

Legal practitioners employed by the government are required to pay a non-refundable fee of N2.5m.

4. Payment must be made into designated bank accounts

Applicants are required to pay directly into either of the committee’s designated accounts:

– Zenith Bank: 1014103141

– Guaranty Trust Bank: 0213662834

5. Proof of payment must be uploaded

Candidates must upload evidence of payment to the online portal for verification.

According to the notice, the LPPC Secretariat will send a confirmation email after verification, allowing applicants to continue with the process.

6. All supporting documents must be uploaded online

Applicants seeking the rank through advocacy or academia must upload clear and legible scanned copies of all mandatory and supporting documents through the portal.

7. Academic applicants have additional requirements

Candidates applying through the academic category must submit seven physical photocopies each of their curriculum vitae and impact statement, in addition to the required flash drives.

8. Every applicant must submit five flash drives

The committee directed all applicants to provide five flash drives containing copies of their completed application forms downloaded from the portal and all mandatory and supporting documents uploaded during the application process.

9. Online applications close on January 31, 2027

The deadline for completing online applications is midnight on January 31, 2027. Applicants are advised to complete their submissions before the deadline to avoid technical or procedural complications.

10. Flash drives must arrive by February 1, 2027

The five flash drives must be delivered to the LPPC Secretariat before 4pm on February 1, 2027.

The committee warned that applications that do not comply with its guidelines or are submitted after the prescribed deadlines will be rejected and treated as non-submissions.

The notice was signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Eniola Akanbi.

Applicants seeking clarification may contact the secretariat through lppcsecretariat@courts.gov.ng.

Source: punchng.com

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