Nigeria: Renewed Calls for State Police Amidst Escalating Kidnappings

Nigeria is grappling with an escalating insecurity crisis, marked by widespread kidnappings, prompting urgent calls for the establishment of state police. Lawmakers, governors, and citizens believe a decentralized police system is crucial to fulfilling the government's fundamental responsibility of ensuring safety.

Amnesty International estimates at least 1,100 individuals were abducted in northern Nigeria from January to April alone. The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) cites figures suggesting over 23,000 abductions nationwide since 2019, with the actual number likely higher. The commoditization of human beings through ransom collection by criminals, often linked to global jihadist networks, demonstrates a resilience that has overwhelmed federal security agencies.

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No human being should be stolen in a country where there is a government in place.

Governor of Oyo State recently pleaded for urgent state police establishment following the abduction of 45 individuals, including teachers and young children. He accused the Federal Government of deception, pointing to the growing epidemic of insecurity as evidence of state failure and helplessness. The situation has become so dire that the armed forces are drawn into police work, leaving them overstretched.

This pervasive insecurity mirrors failures in other essential services. Nigerians have resorted to providing their own water supply through boreholes and electricity due to the breakdown of reform processes and inadequate supply. The article highlights a nation where citizens are increasingly forced into self-help, organizing militias and vigilante groups for protection, or abandoning their homes and farms.

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The growing, alarming epidemic of insecurity in the country points to state failure, abdication of responsibility, and the helplessness of the people, even if we get the occasional report that the security agencies are trying their best to fight the problem.