Senator Simon Mwadkwon
Former Senate Minority Leader and APC Senate candidate for Plateau North, Simon Mwadkwon, has called for the urgent establishment of state police to address recurring attacks and worsening insecurity in Plateau State.
Mwadkwon made the call during a media engagement at his campaign office on Metropolitan Crescent, Tudun Wada, Jos North Local Government Area, where he said Nigeria already has enough laws to tackle insecurity but lacks the political will to enforce them effectively.
The former senator said recent attacks in communities across Plateau North, including Angwan Rukuba and parts of Jos North, had exposed the weaknesses of the country’s centralized policing structure and left many residents displaced.
According to him, insecurity in Plateau and other parts of the country would be better contained through state and community policing systems capable of generating local intelligence and responding quickly to threats.
“There is already enough legislation in place to promote unity, peaceful coexistence and tackle insecurity, but what is lacking is the political will.
“I am not speaking for the security agencies, but I know that we have the capacity as a country to curb these killings and attacks,” he stated.
Mwadkwon argued that the current policing arrangement was ineffective because officers posted from distant states often lacked understanding of local languages, culture and terrain.
“You bring a policeman from Lagos to Jos to do policing work. He does not understand the language, the culture or even the terrain of the people he is policing. Crimes can even be discussed in his presence and executed because he does not understand the language,” he said.
According to him, recruiting officers from local communities would improve intelligence gathering and strengthen response to security threats at the grassroots level.
“But if you recruit somebody from that community into the police force, the person already knows the environment, the people and the security realities. Such officers can provide timely intelligence and respond faster to threats,” he added.
The APC chieftain maintained that although state police might not completely eliminate insecurity, it would significantly reduce violent attacks and improve community safety.
“For us to solve this problem, the National Assembly must, as quickly as possible, pass the bill establishing state police because the primary responsibility of every government is the protection of lives and property,” he stressed.
He lamented the condition of displaced persons across Plateau North, noting that many rural communities had continued to suffer repeated attacks despite limited government presence.
“No matter what infrastructure you provide, if lives and property are unsafe, then government has failed in its primary responsibility. Human life is more important than any infrastructure,” he noted.
Mwadkwon also alleged compromise within some security institutions, insisting that security agencies must rid themselves of unpatriotic elements.
“I have seen situations of compromise myself while serving as local government chairman. Security agencies must purge themselves of bad elements who are not patriotic enough to move this country forward,” he claimed.
Speaking on the APC primaries, Mwadkwon described the exercise as a family affair and urged aggrieved aspirants to embrace reconciliation ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, those dissatisfied with the outcome of the primaries had a constitutional right to seek redress, but such grievances should not divide the party.
“There is no perfect election anywhere in the world. One or two things may go wrong, but that does not invalidate the overall outcome.
“This mandate is not for one person alone. It belongs to all of us. We are inviting everyone to come together and work for the progress of Plateau North,” he added.
