Northern Senators Demand Urgent State Police Action as 36 Die in Adamawa, Sokoto Attacks

The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has called for the urgent establishment of state police following fresh terrorist attacks in Adamawa and Sokoto states that claimed the lives of more than 36 Nigerians.

Chairman of the forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, made the call in a statement condemning the attacks on Gaya community in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State and Ungushi village in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The attacks reportedly claimed the lives of civilians, worshippers and security personnel, further heightening concerns over Nigeria’s worsening security situation.

Yar’Adua urged the Presidential Working Group on State Police, state governors and Houses of Assembly to expedite action on the State Police Bill currently awaiting ratification.

The senators argued that the scale of insecurity across the country had made the decentralisation of policing an urgent necessity, particularly to improve intelligence gathering and response to threats at the grassroots.

“The Northern Senators Forum strongly condemns the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Gaya community, Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State and in Ungushi village, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, which have claimed the lives of over 36 Nigerians, including security personnel and innocent worshippers,” the statement said.

The forum maintained that a decentralised policing system would enable security agencies to respond more quickly to threats and improve intelligence gathering within local communities.

“Decentralised policing is critical to improving response time and intelligence gathering at the grassroots. We cannot continue to lose innocent lives to insurgents while bureaucracy delays critical security reforms. The time to act is now,” the senators said.

The lawmakers condemned the attacks and extended their condolences to the families of those killed, while praying for the recovery of those injured.

They also called on state and local governments to strengthen community vigilante groups and integrate them into security efforts as effective intelligence partners for the police and military.

The senators said stronger collaboration between local communities and formal security agencies would help authorities identify emerging threats and respond more effectively to terrorism and other forms of insecurity.

The renewed demand for state police comes amid growing calls for reforms to Nigeria’s security architecture as communities across the country continue to face attacks by terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups.