Former Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Chief Okoi Obono-Obla has called on the federal government to decentralize policing and to remove it from the exclusive legislative list and place it on the concurrent list.
In December 2025, the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, had called for the establishment of state police system. He expressed happiness with President Bola Tinubu for giving indication that state policing may soon come into force as a further way to tackle increasing insecurity in the country.
In a statement, Chief Obono-Obla, a lawyer, called for the empowering of both states and local governments to take ownership of their security challenges.
He said such an arrangement would ensure that responses are swift, tailored, and effective, and not to depend wholly on the national headquarters of the police force or the Commander-in-Chief.
He maintained that “Security in Nigeria is fundamentally a local issue, best addressed through collaborative partnerships between Local Government Areas and their respective state governments. Yet, because many do not fully grasp how federalism works, there is a persistent assumption that the President in Abuja should be directly involved in maintaining local security in communities hundreds of kilometres away. This misconception has led to over-centralisation, politicking, and the weaponisation of insecurity.”
He drew attention to local policing efforts of Cross River, saying such have garnered attendant feats, and advised other states to emulate it.
“The experience of Cross River State under Governor Bassey Otu Edet provides a compelling case study. Before his administration, kidnapping had become a serious and fundamental security and social issue, with Calabar alone recording more than 20 cases daily. The turning point came with the appointment of a retired General as the State Security Adviser and the government’s massive investment in security infrastructure. This strategic approach reduced kidnapping incidents to the barest minimum, restoring calm and stability across the state.”
The lawyer stated that the model in the state demonstrates that effective security is best achieved through localised solutions rather than waiting for Abuja. “States like Edo should emulate this approach instead of relying on federal intervention, which often becomes bogged down in politics.
“Nigeria’s federal structure demands that states take ownership of their security challenges. By decentralising policing and empowering state governments to act decisively, communities can be better protected, and the cycle of insecurity can be broken. The Cross River State example proves that with strong leadership and investment, localised security solutions can succeed. It is time for other states, especially Edo, to follow suit.”
