Bukola Afeni
President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s commitment to establishing state and community police as part of efforts to transform Nigeria’s security architecture.
The President made this known during a meeting with a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), led by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, at his Lagos residence.
The meeting was disclosed in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu called on CAN to collaborate with his administration in achieving the nation’s collective aspirations, noting that some of the security measures being implemented would take time to yield results.
“The mood of the nation is peaceful, although our ungoverned spaces are large. The challenge is real, but we will surmount it. We need your focus, vigilance and cooperation,” the President said.
He explained that state and community policing would become operational once the National Assembly completes the required legislative processes. Tinubu also pointed to delays in the procurement of military hardware, describing such equipment as expensive and not readily available.
“Our orders for four attack helicopters from the United States will take some time to arrive. We have also approached Turkey for assistance,” he said, adding that the delays had affected public perception of the government’s commitment to tackling insecurity.
Despite the challenges, Tinubu assured Nigerians that the government remained resolute in its efforts to restore peace and prosperity, even in the face of guerrilla tactics employed by bandits and insurgents.
Commenting on the recent abduction and release of schoolchildren in Niger and Kebbi states, the President urged vigilance, stressing that the outcome mattered more than the process.
According to him, “the rhetoric on how the children were released or what happened to the kidnappers is secondary; the end justifies the means.”
He further assured Nigerians that the ongoing recalibration of the country’s security architecture would soon yield positive results.
In his remarks, CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh pledged the association’s support for the Tinubu administration, describing the President as the leader of all Nigerians. He commended Tinubu’s commitment to addressing security and socio-economic challenges and urged him not to relent.
Okoh also appealed for stronger engagement with CAN through its structures at the local government level and requested the release of funds to the Christian Pilgrims’ Board to enable it to carry out its mandate.
