WORSENING INSECURITY: Pressure Mounts For Establishment Of State Police.

Police.

As Nigeria struggles with an alarming rise in violent crimes — ranging from mass abductions to coordinated attacks on communities — the long-running debate over state policing has returned with renewed force. Many citizens are now demanding a decentralised police structure, which they believe could respond faster and more effectively to the spiralling insecurity.

In recent days, the country has witnessed a wave of disturbing incidents exposing the weaknesses of the current policing system. Armed attackers kidnapped more than 300 pupils from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri in Niger State — an incident that evoked painful memories of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.

In Kebbi State, 25 female students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, were taken away by gunmen, who also killed the school’s vice principal. Last week, three people were killed when bandits stormed a parish of the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, abducting worshippers in the dead of night.

On Sunday, authorities confirmed the killing of five police officers in Bauchi State and the abduction of 12 female farmers in Borno State. While the Kebbi schoolgirls and the abducted Kwara church members have been released, the fate of the Niger schoolchildren remains uncertain.

Security experts say these attacks have once again highlighted the limitations of Nigeria’s heavily centralised police force.

Renewed Push For State police

Governors of the South-West, under the South-West Governors’ Forum, have revived their demand for the creation of state police as insecurity worsens across the region and the country.

The call was made on Monday after a closed-door meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State. The gathering was attended by the Forum’s Chairman and Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), and the host governor, Seyi Makinde (Oyo).

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the governors agreed to strengthen coordinated security operations, intelligence-sharing, and rapid-response mechanisms across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti States. They stressed that the establishment of state police “can no longer be delayed.”

Governor Sule Endorses South-West Governors’ Position

Commenting on the renewed calls, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, welcomed the appeal by South-West leaders. He said their stance aligns with a long-standing consensus already reached by nearly all state governors.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Sule noted that although many governors support the initiative, the National Assembly still has to approve the necessary legislation. He recalled that some lawmakers had previously opposed the proposal and emphasised that the matter extends beyond federal authorities to the legislative arm of government.

Sule explained that while states have vigilante outfits and joint task forces, these arrangements cannot match the effectiveness of properly established state police systems. He reaffirmed his commitment to the idea and urged stakeholders to work towards its actualisation.

Lagos APC Lends Support

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has also backed the call by South-West governors, urging President Bola Tinubu to accelerate the creation of state police.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the party described the demand as timely and unavoidable, insisting that only “enemies of peace” would oppose a reform designed to bolster community-level security.

The party argued that the country’s security problems require multi-layered solutions, noting that a well-regulated state police structure would enhance intelligence gathering and deter crime more effectively. The statement concluded that “the time for state police is now.”

Expert Warns State Police Could Fail Without Key Reforms

Public Affairs Analyst and Communications Specialist, Nduka Odo, has cautioned that state police may not solve Nigeria’s insecurity unless accompanied by strong funding, adequate training, and sincere political commitment from both federal and state governments.

In an interview, Odo said the rising calls for state police reflect widespread desperation to tackle “seemingly unabated terrorism-inspired kidnapping,” including the abduction of infants and schoolchildren in their hundreds.

He noted that while many citizens welcome state policing if it can reduce terrorism, he has major concerns about the model being pushed.

According to him, the core issue is not where the police headquarters is located but the chronic underfunding and undertraining of security personnel across the country. Without the necessary resources, equipment, and commitment, he warned that state police could become another costly failure.

Odo stressed that even with the influence state governors already have over commissioners of police, many states have not been able to tackle insecurity effectively. He added that if lack of political will at the federal level is responsible for policing failures, then states should be allowed to create their own forces — but only if they are ready to provide proper funding, training, and genuine backing to confront insecurity.