Following the high rate of banditry and killings in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has recently directed a review of Nigeria’s security architecture to create state police that will address and defeat escalating waves of insecurity, particularly in the North-West.
This policy direction signals a shift away from the centralised policing system that has exposed deep flaws of the country’s while the proponents of state policing argue that it would improve local intelligence gathering and response times by aiding security.
Former Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, had alleged that the federal government is paying bandits to stop killings, a claim the government debunked and said never happened.
Recall that under previous administrations, particularly, late President Muhammadu Buhari, the federal government resisted calls for state policing, citing fears that it could be misused by state governors to intimidate political opponents and suppress dissent.
Bandits continue to operate with impunity in many states, and even governors, including Zamfara, have publicly acknowledged that they know the locations of these criminal groups but lack the power to take direct action against them.
Recently, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi has asked the federal government to declare a “national war on insecurity”, issuing warnings that Nigeria’s casualty figures now rival those of countries officially at war.
Obi’s statement came as a reaction to reports that more than 100 people were killed in violent attacks across Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo states.
He added that the government must suspend all distractions and mobilise every resource to confront the crisis.
While these concerns are valid, they should not outweigh the urgent need to reform a system that is failing to protect lives and property across large parts of the country.
Speaking to the New Daily Prime via a phone call, a retired Assistant Director of Internal Security, Department of State Security, Adams Abuh, said the Nigerian police cannot cover everywhere, but the state police will aid acquisition of intelligence by getting closer to the people who will give them information of the whereabouts of them and they get there easily.
“This highlights the critical gap between intelligence and enforcement that a state police force could help bridge,” he said.
Abuh considers the move both timely and necessary, “though not without risks and challenges that must be carefully managed.”
He bemoaned political leaders who will use state police against their opponents but urged Nigerians to be ready to defend their law and enjoined the justice system to also deliver fair justice at any level.
“A dormant citizen always survives and they should demand their rights, which is protection and security.
“Officers who come from the communities they serve are more likely to earn public trust, receive useful information from residents, and react with cultural and geographical familiarity,” he said.
The retired DSS added that proximity to the people is crucial in the fight against banditry as it thrives in remote, poorly policed areas.
“The community will be more willing to collaborate with law enforcement they see as their own, rather than with distant federal officers who may not fully grasp local dynamics.”
He emphasised that for the policy to be successful, Nigeria must also cultivate a more vigilant and rights-conscious citizenry and citizens must be ready to defend their rights, support law enforcement with intelligence, and hold all security agents accountable through civic engagement.
He revealed that state policing will not be a magic bullet but some serious issues must be addressed for it to be an effective and sustainable solution.
“The establishment of state police forces requires clear structures for recruitment, training, command, and cooperation with the central police. There must be professionalism at all levels, and a well-defined relationship between federal and state security institutions to avoid duplication, rivalry, or political manipulation,” he explained.
He suggested that an independent commission should be created to monitor the activities of state police forces and prevent abuse of power.
“Training must be standardized, recruitment must be merit-based, and officers must be equipped with the tools and skills required to tackle modern security threats, including the use of technology like surveillance drones and communication systems.”
However, funding is another major concern. Many state governments already struggle to pay salaries and maintain infrastructure; adding the financial burden of running a police force may be unrealistic without federal support or legal reforms.
In order to ensure equity and efficiency, funding models should be carefully designed, possibly through a shared federal-state framework or security trust funds with independent management and public accountability.
“Paying criminal groups not only legitimises them but may also embolden others to take up arms in the hope of receiving similar treatment and implication of such a policy if true would be disastrous.”
‘Nigeria not at peak of declaring war on insecurity yet’
In a call interview with the Managing Director of Ethical Security Limited in Lagos Command, Oladele Fajana said Nigeria had not gotten to the level of declaring war on insecurity.
“No, declaring an emergency on insecurity is not the solution, Peter Obi’s advice is just as political as anything. Although there had been insecurity in Sokoto, Kasina, Bono, and some other parts of the north.”
He explained that insecurity currently, cannot be compared to the kind of problem Nigerians had during the advent of Boko Haram, saying “it is not as bad as it used to be in the last 10 or 15 years. Professionally, we call this a pocket attack/opportunity attack.”
Oladele however advised the federal government to intensify efforts in provision of security and advised pressmen and Nigerian journalists to be wary of Peter Obi’s comments as many are just political.
Security measures recommendations
Speaking on recommendation, Abuh revealed that dialogue can play a role in conflict resolution, especially when kinetic operations have failed or become unsustainable, “but it must be strategic, time-bound, and accompanied by justice and disarmament. Ransom payments and financial negotiations with criminal groups should not be institutionalised under any guise.”
He added that Nigeria must also consider preventive strategies such as limiting the circulation of large amounts of cash, which often fuels ransom payments.
“If a well-enforced cashless policy, restricting cash withdrawals to minimal amounts per individual, could significantly reduce the profitability of kidnapping and extortion. However, any such policy must be designed with sensitivity to rural communities and implemented in stages to avoid unintended economic hardship.”
He further recommended that families of fallen officers should be adequately compensated, and morale-boosting incentives should be provided to encourage commitment and loyalty among security personnel and to persuade more people to join the force.
