Nigeria’s 36 state chief executives are divided over the controversial issue of state and local government police.

A meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the 36 state governors just rounded off at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, told State House Correspondents that though state police was on the table, the governors did not take a united position because the financial capacity of the states was not the same.

State and local government police was one of the key recommendations of the Presidential Panel that probed reported human rights abuses by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The committee submitted its report to Buhari last week.

Speaking on creation of state police, Fayemi said governors have not yet taken a position on the proposal for state and local government police.

Fayemi noted that while some governors had revealed their ability to support such state and local government police, others were still having issues of paying existing workers’ salaries.

He further revealed that a comprehensive National Economic Council (NEC) meeting will be held to address the issue of security.

“As security officers of their states, Governors briefed the President on situations in their domains.

“We are ready to join forces with the President to end the security challenges in the country.

On the $1billion earlier taken from the excess crude account, Fayemi added that it must have been spent on securing the nation by the security agencies.