State Police Alone Won't Solve Nigeria's Insecurity, Civil Society Groups Warn

Nigerian civil society organizations are cautioning the federal government against viewing state police as a singular solution to the nation's escalating security challenges. They emphasize the need to simultaneously tackle the social and governance deficiencies that fuel crime and violence.

The warning was issued by representatives from the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Africana League, and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) during a webinar organized by CAPPA. The discussion, titled “Insecurity and State Policing in Nigeria: The Way Forward,” coincided with the National Assembly's advancement of proposed constitutional amendments to permit states to create and operate their own police services. The House of Representatives approved the State Police Bill on July 23, following the Senate's earlier endorsement of the proposal. However, the amendment requires ratification by at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly to become law.

Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of RULAAC, stated at the webinar that insecurity should not be perceived solely as a policing issue. He identified poor governance, poverty, unemployment, corruption, impunity, weak institutions, communal conflicts, and political exclusion as significant contributors to the country's insecurity. "Police can respond to crime, but they cannot eliminate the structural conditions that produce it. No restructuring of police institutions alone will solve Nigeria’s security crisis," Nwanguma asserted.

“

Police can respond to crime, but they cannot eliminate the structural conditions that produce it. No restructuring of police institutions alone will solve Nigeria’s security crisis.

While acknowledging that decentralized policing could enhance local security responses, Nwanguma cautioned that state police might replicate existing abuses without adequate safeguards. He called for minimum standards in recruitment, training, and discipline, alongside protection from partisan political influence. Nwanguma also advocated for independent civilian oversight, transparent complaint mechanisms, sustainable funding, and safeguards against the misuse of state police for political intimidation or suppression of opposition. "Without these safeguards, decentralization may simply transfer abuse from Abuja to the state capitals," he warned.

Glory Ukwenga, Executive Director of Africana League, highlighted the importance of youth involvement in any policing reform. She noted that young people are both significant actors and victims of insecurity but have been largely excluded from discussions on the proposed state police framework. Ukwenga called for youth representation in shaping the future of policing in Nigeria.

“

Without these safeguards, decentralisation may simply transfer abuse from Abuja to the state capitals.