By Hussaini Ibrahim
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, on Wednesday joined other northern governors and traditional rulers to endorse the establishment of state police and unveil the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund as part of measures to tackle rising insecurity across the region.
Yusuf was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, at a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council held at the Kaduna State Government House.
The meeting also resolved that the 19 northern states would contribute N1bn monthly to the Security Trust Fund to support efforts against banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other criminal activities threatening the region.
The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, announced the resolutions while presenting the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
Yahaya said the endorsement of state police was aimed at strengthening the country’s security architecture by bringing security responses closer to communities.
“The establishment of State Police is a major step towards strengthening our security architecture and ensuring that security responses are closer to the people they are meant to protect,” he said.
The forum chairman added that the Security Trust Fund would complement the efforts of security agencies and provide additional resources to address emerging security threats.
“We have agreed that the 19 northern states will contribute N1bn monthly to the Security Trust Fund to support the fight against banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other criminal activities affecting our people,” Yahaya stated.
The meeting appointed former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, and former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai, as co-chairmen of the Board of Trustees of the fund.
Members of the board were drawn from the 19 northern states based on their records of service and contributions to national development.
The forum said the initiative would improve security coordination among stakeholders and support sustainable peace-building efforts across Northern Nigeria.
Earlier, the host governor, Senator Uba Sani of Kaduna State, urged residents to support security agencies, stressing that addressing insecurity required collective responsibility.
“Security is not the responsibility of government alone. It requires the support and cooperation of every citizen because everyone has a role to play in protecting our communities,” Sani said.
Similarly, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’adu Abubakar, called for stronger collaboration between traditional institutions, communities and security agencies in tackling criminal activities.
He said traditional rulers would continue to support initiatives aimed at restoring peace and creating an environment for development across the region.
The meeting brought together northern governors, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to discuss security challenges and strategies for rebuilding confidence among communities.
The Northern Governors’ Forum said the partnership with traditional institutions would remain a key component of efforts to address insecurity and promote development across the region.
