Three civil society organisations have cautioned the Federal Government that establishing a state police force, on its own, will not resolve Nigeria’s increasing insecurity.
The organisations- the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Africana League, and the Centre for Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)- made this assertion during a webinar held on Tuesday, 28 July, titled ‘Insecurity and State Policing in Nigeria: The Way Forward.’
They emphasised that the country must also address the underlying governance, economic, and social challenges that drive violence and criminality.
They argued that while decentralising policing could improve grassroots security responses, meaningful reforms must also confront issues such as poverty, unemployment, corruption, weak institutions, political exclusion, and impunity, which they identified as primary drivers of insecurity.
Okechukwu Nwanguma, the Executive Director of RULAAC, speaking on ‘State Policing in Nigeria: The Imperative, the Risks, and the Architecture for Accountability,’ cautioned against viewing insecurity solely as a policing issue.
He explained that police institutions can respond to crime but cannot eliminate the structural conditions that foster criminality.
‘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 stated.
While acknowledging the potential benefits of decentralised policing, he warned that state police could repeat existing abuses unless strong accountability mechanisms are put in place.
Nwanguma called for national minimum standards for recruitment, training, and discipline, operational independence from partisan political influence, civilian oversight, transparent complaint mechanisms, sustainable funding, and safeguards against police misuse for electoral intimidation or political suppression.
‘Without these safeguards, decentralisation may simply transfer abuse from Abuja to the state capitals,’ he cautioned.
He also expressed concern over the ongoing constitutional amendment process regarding state policing, urging the National Assembly to guarantee transparency, broad public consultation, and thorough debate before implementing such a broad reform.
He advocated for meaningful participation by civil society organisations, professional bodies, traditional institutions, women, youth groups, labour unions, and security experts in shaping the proposed framework.
Additionally, Glory Ukwenga, the Executive Director of Africana League, stressed that young people must play a central role in reforming Nigeria’s policing structure.
She pointed out that although youths make up over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population, they are largely excluded from discussions on state policing.
Ukwenga proposed youth representation on state police service commissions and police community relations committees, the creation of youth advisory councils on security, structured consultations with youth organisations, and greater youth involvement in oversight and performance evaluation.
She also recommended youth-focused recruitment initiatives, civic education on security governance, and digital platforms enabling young people to report security issues, participate in consultations, and provide policy feedback.
Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA’s Executive Director, presenting a paper titled ‘Building a People-Centred Security Framework for Nigeria,’ concluded that the debate should not only focus on decentralising policing but also on defining the policing system Nigeria strives to establish.
He questioned, ‘The fundamental issue is the philosophy behind the kind of policing we want to have in Nigeria. Do we want a police service that communities can relate with? Or do we just want to instil fear so that the elites and those in authority can exert violence on the people?’
Oluwafemi emphasised that policing should be rooted in respect for human rights, accountability, and community participation, rather than serving as an instrument of political intimidation.
He further pointed out that declining public services and limited access to education, electricity, clean water, good roads, and employment continue to threaten national security.
The CAPPA executive director warned against rushing constitutional reforms solely in response to security challenges, urging policymakers to learn from the flaws of existing institutions before creating new policing structures.
The speakers agreed unanimously that Nigeria’s security issues require a comprehensive approach that goes beyond just creating additional police forces.
They called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to ensure that any state policing framework promotes professionalism, accountability, respect for human rights, and public trust-while strengthening democracy and the rule of law-rather than opening new avenues for political interference and abuse.