Tobias Sylvester
Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku has called for the creation of state police, lamenting that the 36 governors in Nigeria are helpless when it comes to tackling insecurity.
Governor Ishaku made this call while reacting to the killing of 12 persons by suspected Ambazonia fighters, a separatist group in Cameroon, at Manga community in Takum LGA of Taraba.
During an interview with Channels Television on Thursday, the governor said there is nothing much he could do to prevent the attack because the powers have been vested in the Federal Government.
Ishaku said if he had the powers to control the security operatives he would have deployed the police in the community, adding that there is a need for state police.
He said, “We are under the federal government when it comes to the military and police. There is nothing a state government can do. We rely on them.”
“What else can a governor do, if I had complained? What else can I do? I wish I knew if this thing was going to happen yesterday.
“It is not only me that is helpless. All the governors in Nigeria are helpless. I have said it, times without number.
“All the governors in Nigeria are helpless that is why we are saying give us state police. If we have state police, I will have ordered the police.
“All the governors — not only Darius Ishaku — are helpless; not only the Taraba state government that is helpless, all of us.
“The governors are helpless. Go and ask other governors and tell me who has a solution to give. We have to depend on the federal might when it comes to security.”
The governor said the federal government must equip security agencies and also ensure that the borders of the country are well-manned.
He said, “We have vigilante but what will a vigilante do when he does not have an AK-47? And people are charging at him with AK-47.
“I just told you that even the immigration tried their best (referring to when Ambazonia fighters invaded the community). I don’t know which gun the immigration was using. Apparently, maybe the type of normal old gun of cork and fire.
“To be frank with you, even the military needs to be equipped, even the police need to be equipped.
“All these para-military (agencies) need to be equipped. Federal government must decide to equip them and equip them properly.”
KanyiDaily recalls that Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai had also lamented over the spate of insecurity in the country, saying that governors were helpless and frustrated.
