Why Nigeria Can No Longer Delay State Police
For decades, Nigeria has battled insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, and violent crime under a highly centralised policing system.
Despite the sacrifices of officers and security agencies, the reality is difficult to ignore: one centrally controlled police force has struggled to meet the security demands of a nation of over 220 million people.
That is why the push for state police deserves careful support.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has taken the boldest step yet by backing a constitutional amendment to decentralise policing.
The National Assembly has responded positively, with both the House of Representatives and the Senate passing the constitutional amendment bill to establish state police.
This marks the closest Nigeria has come to implementing a reform that has been debated for decades.
However, the journey is not yet complete. Because the proposal is a constitutional amendment, it still requires approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can receive presidential assent and become law.
The case for state police is compelling. Governors are constitutionally described as the chief security officers of their states, yet they have no operational control over the police.
A state police system could improve intelligence gathering, reduce response time to emergencies, and enable officers who understand local languages, geography, and community dynamics to tackle crime more effectively.
Yet, support for state police should not mean blind optimism.
The greatest concern remains political abuse. Nigeria’s democratic history has shown that some state governments have used local institutions to intimidate opponents.
Without strong constitutional safeguards, an unscrupulous governor could attempt to turn a state police force into a political weapon.
Funding is another challenge. While wealthier states may successfully establish and equip professional police services, poorer states could struggle to recruit, train, and sustain quality personnel. National standards for recruitment, training, accountability, and respect for human rights must therefore remain non-negotiable.
Encouragingly, lawmakers say the proposed legislation contains safeguards to limit abuse and preserve federal oversight over national security matters such as terrorism, organised crime, and border security.
Nigeria’s security crisis demands innovation, not fear of change. State police is not a magic solution, but it is a necessary reform whose time has come.
Success, however, will depend not merely on creating new police formations but on ensuring professionalism, accountability, independent oversight, and protection of citizens’ rights.
The constitutional process should now be completed without unnecessary delay. But as the states prepare for this historic responsibility, Nigerians must insist that state police serve the people, not politicians.
If properly implemented, history may remember this reform as one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s security architecture since the 1999 return to democratic rule.
