State Police: Nigeria Moves Closer to Decentralised Policing as Lawmakers, Governors and Traditional Rulers Back Reform

State Police: Nigeria Moves Closer to Decentralised Policing as Lawmakers, Governors and Traditional Rulers Back Reform

 Nigeria’s state police proposal gains stronger support as lawmakers, governors, traditional rulers and security experts call for decentralised policing with strict safeguards, national standards and sustainable funding.

State Police Takes Centre Stage in Nigeria’s Security Debate

The debate over how Nigeria can better protect lives and property has taken a significant turn, with strong support emerging for the creation of state police.

The issue featured prominently during the 2026 National Assembly Open Week, where lawmakers, security experts, traditional rulers, governors, civil society representatives and other stakeholders gathered to examine some of the country’s most pressing security challenges.

The National Security and Traditional Rulers Roundtable, held on Wednesday, July 15, brought together key voices to discuss the causes of insecurity in Nigeria and possible solutions to the growing threats facing communities across the country.

At the centre of the discussion was a proposal that has generated considerable debate for years: the decentralisation of Nigeria’s police structure and the establishment of state police.

Although participants expressed different views about how the system should operate, there was broad support for the principle of bringing policing closer to the communities it is expected to protect.

The discussion also highlighted an important reality: establishing state police would require more than simply changing the Constitution. It would demand strong institutions, clear responsibilities, sustainable funding, professional standards and safeguards against political interference.

Why State Police Has Become a Major National Issue

Nigeria currently operates a centralised police structure, with the Nigeria Police Force functioning primarily under federal control.

Supporters of state police argue that Nigeria’s size, population and increasingly complex security environment make a highly centralised policing arrangement less effective in dealing with some local threats.

Banditry, kidnapping, communal violence, farmer-herder conflicts, organised crime and other security challenges often have strong local dimensions.

Proponents of decentralised policing believe officers who operate within communities and understand their local environment may be better positioned to gather intelligence, identify emerging threats and respond quickly to incidents.

However, opponents and sceptics have consistently raised concerns about the possibility of state police being controlled or abused by powerful political actors.

That concern was also acknowledged during the National Assembly security dialogue.

The emerging argument from supporters of the reform is that the answer is not necessarily to abandon state police, but to design the system with sufficient constitutional and institutional safeguards to prevent abuse.

General Lucky Irabor Calls for Citizen-Centred Security Reform

Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd.), was among the security experts who contributed to the discussion.

Irabor welcomed the diversity of participants at the roundtable, noting that the conversation brought together legislators, military leaders, police professionals, governors, traditional rulers, academics and civil society representatives.

He emphasised the importance of making security reform citizen-centred.

According to the former military chief, constitutional reforms should strengthen Nigeria’s national unity while also improving security effectiveness at the local level.

He also stressed the importance of intelligence, arguing that Nigeria must increasingly make intelligence gathering a first line of defence.

Another major point raised by Irabor was funding.

Security institutions, he argued, cannot be expected to deliver exceptional results when they are consistently underfunded.

This issue could become particularly important if state police eventually becomes a reality because states would need the financial capacity to recruit, train, equip and adequately compensate personnel.

Traditional Rulers Support State Police

Traditional rulers also threw their weight behind the proposed reform.

Speaking on behalf of Nigeria’s traditional institutions, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, reaffirmed the willingness of traditional leaders to contribute to security efforts through community engagement, grassroots intelligence gathering and cooperation with security agencies.

He also expressed support for a properly structured state police system.

Traditional institutions could play an important role in a decentralised security architecture because of their longstanding connections with communities across Nigeria.

In many rural areas, traditional leaders are often closely connected to local residents and may possess valuable knowledge about community dynamics, disputes and emerging security threats.

A properly coordinated relationship between state police, federal security agencies, traditional institutions and local communities could therefore become an important part of Nigeria’s security strategy.

Uba Sani: Security Is Also a Constitutional Question

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, provided one of the strongest arguments for constitutional reform during the roundtable.

According to the governor, security should not be viewed exclusively as a policing matter.

He argued that it is fundamentally connected to the way powers and responsibilities are distributed within Nigeria’s constitutional system.

Sani maintained that Nigeria’s security environment has changed considerably since the 1999 Constitution was introduced.

Modern security threats, he argued, require institutions that can respond quickly, use intelligence effectively, adopt technology and remain sufficiently close to the communities they serve.

The governor described state police as one of the most consequential constitutional reforms currently under consideration.

However, he also acknowledged that the reform must be carefully designed.

A poorly structured state police system, he warned, could create institutional conflicts and weaken public confidence.

The central challenge, therefore, is to develop a system that improves local security without creating another avenue for political abuse.

Abbas Tajudeen Outlines Safeguards for State Police

House of Representatives Speaker Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen also used the security roundtable to explain how the proposed system could be implemented.

The Speaker pointed out that President Bola Tinubu has made state police an important part of his national reform agenda, with a bill now before the National Assembly.

However, Abbas stressed that Nigeria should not rush into creating 36 new police structures without first establishing the necessary standards and safeguards.

He proposed a phased approach to implementation.

Under the framework he outlined, a National Minimum Standards Act should be established before individual state police organisations begin issuing directives.

This would help ensure that states operate within a common national framework while still allowing room for local policing.

The Speaker also advocated a gradual implementation process rather than launching state police across the country simultaneously.

Such an approach, he suggested, would allow policymakers to identify weaknesses, study what works and make necessary adjustments before expanding the system.

Funding Could Determine the Success of State Police

One of the biggest questions surrounding state police is funding.

Creating a police organisation requires significant financial resources.

States would need to provide funding for recruitment, salaries, training, equipment, communications systems, vehicles, intelligence operations and infrastructure.

Abbas therefore argued that the financial structure of state policing must be addressed from the beginning.

Possible mechanisms could include a dedicated policing fund, shared services or federal assistance linked to clearly defined standards.

The principle is straightforward: states should not establish police forces they cannot afford to maintain.

An underfunded police institution could create serious problems, including poor morale, inadequate equipment and vulnerability to corruption.

Sustainable funding would therefore need to become a central component of any state police framework.

Can State Police Be Protected From Political Interference?

Perhaps the biggest concern surrounding state police is the possibility that governors or political godfathers could use the institution for political purposes.

Critics have warned that a powerful state executive could potentially turn a state police organisation into a political instrument.

The proposed framework seeks to address this concern through institutional checks and balances.

According to the safeguards outlined by the Speaker, the appointment of a state Commissioner of Police would involve the National Police Council, while the State House of Assembly would have a role in confirming the appointment.

The proposed removal process would also require a high threshold, with a two-thirds majority of the State Assembly required in specified circumstances.

These measures are designed to prevent a governor from exercising unchecked control over the state police leadership.

The proposed framework also provides for federal intervention under defined circumstances where a state police organisation breaks down, is compromised or acts against the people it is meant to protect.

However, such intervention would not be unlimited.

The safeguards outlined by Abbas envisage intervention under specific conditions, within defined time limits and with notification to relevant authorities.

Judicial oversight would also form part of the proposed checks.

The objective is to create a balance between state autonomy and national accountability.

Lessons Nigeria Can Learn From Other Countries

The National Assembly leadership has also called for Nigeria to study how policing is organised in countries with decentralised systems.

Germany, Canada and the United States were cited as examples from which Nigeria could draw lessons.

However, the central message is that Nigeria should not simply copy another country's policing model.

Instead, policymakers must identify systems that can work within Nigeria's unique constitutional, political, economic and security environment.

The experience of other countries demonstrates that decentralised policing can function effectively when there are clear national standards, coordinated intelligence systems and strong accountability mechanisms.

Without those safeguards, decentralisation could potentially create new security challenges rather than solving existing ones.

State Police Could Strengthen Intelligence Gathering

One of the strongest arguments in favour of state police is its potential to improve local intelligence.

Effective security depends heavily on timely and accurate information.

A police structure that is closer to communities may be better placed to identify suspicious movements, criminal networks, emerging conflicts and other threats before they escalate.

Local officers may also have greater familiarity with communities, languages, social structures and geographical conditions.

That does not mean federal security agencies would become unnecessary.

Instead, Nigeria could potentially operate a multi-level security system in which federal and state police organisations work alongside one another, supported by intelligence sharing and common national standards.

The Road Ahead for Nigeria's Security Reform

The National Assembly Open Week may have ended, but the debate generated by the security roundtable is likely to continue.

For years, state police has remained one of Nigeria's most controversial constitutional reform proposals.

The latest discussions suggest that the debate has moved beyond the simple question of whether Nigeria should have state police.

The more important questions now concern how it should be created, who should control it, how it should be funded and what safeguards should protect citizens from abuse.

The broad consensus emerging from the stakeholders' engagement is that Nigeria needs a security architecture capable of responding to the realities of the 21st century.

For supporters, state police could bring law enforcement closer to the people, improve intelligence gathering and strengthen Nigeria's federal structure.

For sceptics, the potential for political interference remains a serious concern.

Both perspectives highlight the need for careful constitutional drafting and effective oversight.

Nigeria's security challenges require solutions that go beyond temporary responses to individual security incidents.

The discussions at the 2026 National Assembly Open Week demonstrate growing recognition that the country's security architecture may need significant reform to meet evolving threats.

State police could become an important part of that reform if it is built on professional standards, adequate funding, intelligence sharing, accountability and strong constitutional safeguards.

The success of the proposal will ultimately depend not only on the passage of legislation but on how the system is implemented.

If Nigeria can establish state police while protecting its independence from political manipulation, the reform could bring policing closer to citizens and strengthen the country's ability to respond to local security threats.

But if adequate safeguards, funding and accountability are ignored, decentralisation could create new problems.

The challenge before lawmakers, therefore, is not simply to create more police forces. It is to build a security system that Nigerians can trust.

The outcome of that process could have far-reaching implications for the future of policing, federalism and national security in Nigeria.

What do you think about the proposed state police system in Nigeria? Can it improve security while preventing political abuse? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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