President Bola Tinubu has been told to resist the temptation of aggressively pursuing State Police as the solution to the insecurity in Nigeria, but to focus more on addressing the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria.
This, according to the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Center, RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, is because the truth is that Nigeria’s insecurity is not primarily a policing structure problem, but a governance problem.
Recent weeks have seen serious attacks on communities and security formations, especially in Northern Nigeria, most worrisome of which was an attack and capture of military personnel by Boko Haram insurgents, as was shown in a viral video over the weekend.
Nwanguma is of the opinion that Nigeria stands today at a dangerous crossroads, as citizens live under the constant shadow of violence, crime, and fear.
He regretted that despite this deepening crisis, the policy response from government circles increasingly leans toward the creation of state police.
Nwanguma observed that the crime and violence in Nigeria are deeply rooted in criminalized politics, bad governance, poverty, social injustice, mass unemployment, and widening inequality, which are the lived realities for millions of Nigerians who feel excluded, neglected, and alienated from the state.
According to him, in such an environment, criminal networks thrive, and violence becomes both a tool and a symptom of systemic failure.
The RULAAC boss noted that no policing model, whether federal, state, or hybrid, can succeed in isolation without the government addressing the socio-economic and political drivers of insecurity, adding that the creation of state police risks merely decentralizing dysfunction rather than solving it.
He further noted that years of neglect have left the Nigerian Police Force weakened and compromised, with police officers operating under poor conditions, with inadequate welfare, insufficient training, and limited resources.
The result, he noted, is a police force often seen not as a protector but as a source of fear and exploitation.
According to him, this trust deficit is one of the most significant obstacles to effective policing in Nigeria, with communities less willing to cooperate with law enforcement, intelligence gathering suffers, and a gap that criminals exploit.
Nwanguma maintained that fragmenting this already fragile institution into state-controlled units, without first fixing its foundational problems, could worsen the situation, adding that what Nigeria urgently needs is not the multiplication of policing structures, but the transformation of governance and accountability systems.
“In a political environment where institutions are frequently captured by powerful interests, state police could become tools of repression in the hands of governors and local political elites. Instead of enhancing security, it could deepen abuse, entrench impunity, and fuel political violence.
“First, there must be a deliberate effort to decriminalise politics. Elections must cease to be battlegrounds where violence is rewarded and perpetrators are protected. Political actors who sponsor or benefit from violence must be held accountable, regardless of their status or affiliation.
“Second, the government must invest meaningfully in social and economic justice. Reducing poverty, creating jobs, and addressing inequality are not just development goals – they are central to national security. A society that offers dignity and opportunity to its citizens is inherently more stable and secure.
“Third, comprehensive reform of the Nigeria Police Force is non-negotiable. This includes improving welfare and working conditions, ensuring merit-based recruitment and promotion, strengthening internal and external oversight mechanisms, and guaranteeing operational independence from political interference. The police must be repositioned as a professional, rights-respecting, and service-oriented institution.
“Fourth, accountability must be enforced consistently. Officers who abuse their powers must face consequences, and victims must have access to justice. Without accountability, reform efforts will remain cosmetic and ineffective,” he said.
The RULAAC boss, however, observed that in a truly federal system, decentralized policing can enhance local responsiveness and efficiency, but said in Nigeria’s current context, where governance deficits and institutional weaknesses are pervasive, such a move risks compounding existing problems
“President Tinubu has a historic opportunity to confront the real causes of Nigeria’s insecurity. This requires political courage, not policy shortcuts. It demands a commitment to justice, accountability, and inclusive governance.
“Nigeria does not need more police formations; it needs a system that works. Until the roots of insecurity are addressed, structural reforms like state policing will remain, at best, a distraction, and at worst, a dangerous illusion,” Nwanguma said.
