Tinubu Says “I Have to Create a State Police,” Deploys Drones, Troops to Combat Katsina Banditry

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has revealed that his administration is considering the creation of state police as part of a renewed strategy to tackle the escalating banditry plaguing parts of Nigeria, especially Katsina State.

Our correspondent understands from the State House that the President made this known Tuesday night while receiving a delegation of prominent Katsina citizens led by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.

Tinubu also directed the immediate deployment of advanced military hardware, including drones and additional surveillance tools, to reinforce security operations in the troubled state.

“The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable,” the President said.

“We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it. I have today directed all the security agencies to energise further and look at the strategies. We have approved the additional acquisition of drones.”

Tinubu assured the delegation that he was reviewing “all aspects of security,” adding, “I have to create a state police. We are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity. We must protect our children, people, livelihood, places of worship, and recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us.”

Governor Radda, in a post on his official X handle seen by TIMES OF NIGERIA, confirmed that the President had ordered “a comprehensive reinforcement of security in Katsina State,” including redeployment of troops and intensified ground operations.

The delegation also used the meeting to thank President Tinubu for honouring late President Muhammadu Buhari with what former Governor Aminu Bello Masari described as “a true state funeral.”

The Waziri of Katsina, Senator Ibrahim Ida, urged the President to prioritise the completion of key infrastructure, including the Kano–Maradi rail project and an upgrade of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport.