16 state governors have supported the establishment of state police.

The development was revealed in a report presented to the National Economic Council (NEC) during its 140th meeting, which was conducted virtually under the chairmanship of Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, shared this information with State House Correspondents in a virtual briefing following the council meeting.

While 20 state governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administrator have yet to submit their positions, the governors in favor also advocated for a comprehensive review of the Nigerian Constitution to possibly facilitate this change.

The NEC also deliberated on the findings of the ad-hoc committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control, led by Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.

The committee’s report highlighted the critical areas of oil leakage in the industry and recommended the necessity of political will to enact meaningful reforms.