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The Northern Senators Forum has demanded urgent action on the State Police Bill after more than 36 Nigerians were killed in separate terrorist attacks in Adamawa and Sokoto States.
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The senators said the attacks in Gaya, Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa, and Ungushi, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto, had exposed the urgent need for a more decentralised security system.
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The Forum called on the Federal Government, state governors and State Houses of Assembly to expedite the ratification of the State Police Bill, warning that continued bureaucratic delays in implementing critical security reforms could cost more lives.
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The lawmakers also urged state and local governments to strengthen community vigilante groups and make them effective intelligence partners to the police and military in communities vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
August 21, (THEWILL) — The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has demanded an immediate end to delays surrounding the proposed State Police system, following the killing of more than 36 Nigerians in separate terrorist attacks in Adamawa and Sokoto States.
The demand followed the killings in Gaya community, Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, and Ungushi village, Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State, where suspected terrorists reportedly killed civilians and security personnel.
In a statement on Friday, Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), said the latest attacks should serve as a fresh warning to the Federal Government and state authorities that Nigeria’s existing security architecture requires urgent strengthening.
THEWILL reports that the senators, representing the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), questioned how many more Nigerians must die before authorities move decisively on security reforms designed to improve intelligence gathering and response to attacks.
The Foru called on the Federal Government, through the Presidential Working Group chaired by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, state governors and State Houses of Assembly to give prompt attention and concurrence to the State Police Bill currently awaiting ratification.
The senators argued that decentralised policing would place security resources closer to vulnerable communities, improve grassroots intelligence gathering and reduce the time required for security agencies to respond to emerging threats.
Condemning the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Adamawa and Sokoto, the lawmakers said the attacks claimed the lives of more than 36 Nigerians, including a police inspector, other security personnel and innocent worshippers.
According to the Forum, suspected Boko Haram insurgents invaded Gaya community in Hong LGA on the night of Monday, August 17, 2026. The attackers reportedly set two houses ablaze and killed eight people, comprising one police inspector and seven civilians.
In Sokoto State, the Forum said suspected members of Lakurawa, a terrorist group linked to extremist networks in Mali and Niger, attacked worshippers at Ungushi village in Kebbe LGA during Friday prayers on August 15. About 30 people were reportedly killed in the attack, which allegedly followed the killing of four soldiers in the area earlier that day.
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‘Time To Act Is Now’
The lawmakers said repeated condemnations of terrorist attacks would not be enough unless they were accompanied by concrete reforms capable of preventing further bloodshed.
They therefore called on the Federal Government, governors and state legislatures to accelerate the process for the State Police Bill.
The proposed constitutional amendment had already passed the Senate in June, with 84 senators voting in favour during clause-by-clause consideration.
The National Policing Bill is one of the flagship initiatives of the Tinubu administration aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s policing system amid persistent security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, organised crime and communal violence across several parts of the country.
The bill seeks to establish a constitutional framework for state-controlled police services alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.
The proposal is designed to allow states that choose to establish their own police services to do so through legislation by their Houses of Assembly, while the Federal Police would retain responsibility for national security matters such as counter-terrorism, organised crime, border security and other federal responsibilities.
THEWILL earlier reported that the Federal Government had extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed National Policing Bill to Friday, August 21, 2026, as part of efforts to broaden public participation.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, chaired by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, is expected to present the completed Executive Bill package to the President on September 3, 2026.
The Northern Senators Forum said the current security realities made further delays unacceptable.
“Decentralized policing is critical to improving response time and intelligence gathering at the grassroots,” the senators said.
They also urged state and local governments to invest in community vigilante groups and strengthen their capacity to provide useful intelligence to formal security agencies.
According to the lawmakers, properly organised community-based security structures could help the police and military identify threats earlier because local residents are often better positioned to detect suspicious movements and activities in their communities.
“We cannot continue to lose innocent lives to insurgents while bureaucracy delays critical security reforms. The time to act is now. The time to act is now,” the Forum said.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
