Northern Senators Lament Worsening Security Challenges

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Northern Senators Forum on Friday August 21, 2026, urged the Federal Government, State Governors, State Houses of Assembly and other relevant authorities to expedite action on the State Police Bill.

The umbrella body of serving Senators from the Northern region, across party lines, insisted that State Police has become more than imperative in the face of the worsening security challenges in parts of the country.

In a statement signed by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, ( Katsina Central), the Northern Senators called on the presidential Working Committee headed by the Chief of Staff CoS to the president ,Femi Gbajiabiamila , state Governors and their various legislative branches to, as a matter of urgent national importance, accord priority to the State police Bill presently waiting for their action.

The Senators decried the persistent security challenges facing parts of the country, as well as many innocent lives that have been lost in the process.

“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 Forum prays for the repose of the souls of the departed ,and for the speedy recovery of those injured” the statement noted.

This is as they condemned the spate of recent attacks that have swept through parts of Adamawa and Sokoto states , during which over 36 Nigerians , including security personnel were killed by suspected banditry elements.

The Source reports that the Northern Senators position is coming amidst concern in some quarters over possible abuses of the State police by State Governors.

Not a few opposition figures have equally raised concerns about the state police becoming a tool in the hands of the state Governors and the ruling All Progressive Congress APC to intimidate rivals, and manipulate the 2027 general elections.

Many of them have called on the authorities to pause the move to have state police until after the 2027 polls.