Nigeria has grappled with heightened insecurity since the emergence of Boko Haram in 2009. Since then, terrorism and banditry have taken different phases in terms of expansion, sophistication, and modus operandi, becoming more and more lethal. The question of amending the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria to create state police, thereby relegating efforts in combating security challenges to state governments, has become topical, with many in support and most questioning the risks this move might pose.
In 2019, the National Assembly of the Federation of Nigeria passed a state police bill sponsored by the then senator representing Enugu West and deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, to a second reading. The bill sought to devolve the police structure to the state level, recognizing federal police and state police with different levels of command. The bill received the support of 75 out of 105 senators. However, the House failed to pass the bill due to the fear of what critics described as its potential abuse by state governors, weaponization against political opponents, and the lack of a proper financing mechanism for the module.
With insecurity in Nigeria reaching an all-time high—1100 people abducted between January and April, and the numbers still counting to date in June; terrorists and bandits ostensibly showcasing their criminal trade on social media; and about 7 military generals abducted—conversations about state police have renewed, this time, with strong support from the presidency and even stronger support from the House of Assembly alongside staunch public backing. Still, the concerns that have always been raised persist, but the benefits of state police far outweigh the risks it poses. In any case, the risks are manageable, but Nigeria should not lose sight of the pros of state police even as it expresses its concerns about its cons.
In Line With the Tenets of Federalism
In recognition of its vastness and diverse population, Nigeria operates under a federal system of government, distributing state power between the central government and the state governments. Ordinarily, this power encompasses the authority not only to formulate state-level policies but also to enforce them. However, Nigeria has notoriously ceded the full power of law enforcement to the central government through the police. This is an aberration from the federal system of power devolution. And it brings into question the ability of the center of government to adequately address the different dynamics of insecurity in various states with a uniform central strategy. Therefore, the introduction of state police will align the Federation of Nigeria with the core tenets of federalism, which it practices.
Tailored Response Strategies
Even though terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and their related crimes seem to be executed similarly, the intents and motivations behind them differ, as do their actors. As James Ojochemeni David indicated in his 2025 research article, Boko Haram and Niger Delta Avengers: unraveling the greed-need-creed spectrum in Nigeria’s security-development nexus; the motivations behind insurgencies are analyzed on the spectrum of socioeconomic deprivation (need), economic incentive (greed), and ideological motivation (creed). This spectrum applies differently to the six zones of Nigeria. Namely, the Northeast faces mainly Islamic insurgency; the Northwest is grappled with banditry and kidnapping; North Central faces farmer-herder conflicts and communal clashes; the Southeast faces secessionist agitations; South South faces economic sabotage, piracy, and militancy; and finally, the Southwest is faced with cyber theft. These zones can clearly be placed on the greed-need-creed spectrum, and the threats are even more granular at the state level with varying actors. There is, therefore, a need for state governments to develop localized strategies that best address the threats emerging in their respective states.
Proper Resource Allocation
Akin to the previous point, the scale of insecurity and the sophistication of criminal actors differ from state to state, making it necessary for an equitable module of state-level funding and resource allocation. With the State Police, local governments will be able to recruit police officers, as many as needed, and invest in the resources required for intrastate operations. The central police views the police force as a single unit and distributes its resources at the discretion of the IGP. This is not a favorable model, as resources are mainly distributed considering factors like population density and landmass. Meanwhile, smaller states may be facing bigger challenges than larger ones. Also, the commissioner of state police, who is also an indigene of a particular state, will know better what to prioritize, given their lived experience with respect to insecurity. They are also able to forge stronger ties with the governor who appoints them, allowing for a stronger partnership in safeguarding the state.
More control, More Effective
As a matter of concern for every citizen of Nigeria, every governor pledges to solve insecurity during their campaign stumps because, of course, that is expected of local governments. However, the current police structure strips local governments of the power to directly enforce law and order in the states. Governments with more control will prove more effective in addressing insecurity within their states. This means that they do not have to fall on the long chain of bureaucracy of the central government to effect local strategies that best solve their problems. It will also afford constituents the ability to hold their elected executives accountable for their performance in the aspect of security. Furthermore, the state governor who appoints the commissioner of police can also relieve nonperforming commissioners, strengthening policing in the state.
Fear surmountable
Critics of the state police have cited the weaponization of the state police against political opponents and inadequate funding as reasons Nigeria should not adopt the state police policy. I posit that these challenges can be bypassed.
Weaponization
Law enforcement is one function of a democratic government. It will not by itself solve all the problems in the states. The federation should strengthen institutions within the states encompassing the executive, legislature, and judiciary as per the tenets of the rule of law. These will serve as guardrails for reining in over-reaching state governments. The absence of the state police did not prevent the abuse of state governments, and definitely, its presence in a state with institutions that work will not worsen it. Instead, it will check and help massively in keeping the states safer.
Funding inadequacy
It is instructive to note that even the federal police is faced with onerous funding challenges. Equipment is lacking, police officers are not well remunerated, and the overall budget of the police falls short of the required investments needed to safeguard the federation. That notwithstanding, funding cannot be an excuse for sacrificing a core pillar of federalism and exacerbating the security of all of Nigeria. The figures of lives and properties being lost to terrorist acts are wartime figures, although Nigeria is not at war. Security is what holds the federation together, and its dysfunction brings the nationhood of Nigeria into question. The government must face insecurity head-on to prevent citizens from taking their fates, and for that matter, the law, into their own hands. The money being lost to graft annually is more than enough to build a robust security infrastructure across Nigeria. Therefore, rather than complain about the burden of funding, the federal government should work harder to raise the funds required to build modern security infrastructure across the states in Nigeria, and this starts with the formation of the state police.
Conclusion
The State Police has become a necessary engine in the fight against insecurity. Given the disparity and differences in security challenges facing the states in Nigeria, the centralized police structure is not viable for a country with a population of 242 million. A decentralized model will give the individual state governments the power to address their specific security challenges by allocating resources where needed. The benefits of such a structure outweigh the risks of political abuse. Also, this structure is doable if the governments exercise discipline in managing state funds. The unity of the Federation of Nigeria can be assured if every Nigerian is safe and sees their government as responsible for them. And the way to go is for a localized police structure.