Former Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, has blamed Nigeria’s persistent insecurity on the government’s failure to adequately fund, equip, and strengthen the Nigeria Police Force, describing the neglect as a major driver of the country’s security challenges.
Speaking in an interview on Arise News monitored by The News Chronicle, Okiro said the police, which remains the lead agency responsible for internal security, has suffered years of inadequate funding, manpower shortages, and poor equipment.
The former police chief revealed that he was initially opposed to the creation of state police due to historical concerns stemming from the era of regional policing before the force was unified under military rule.
However, he noted that the growing security crisis has exposed critical weaknesses in the current policing structure.
“Earlier on, I was against the issue of state police because of what happened in the past,” Okiro said. “Before the military regime, we had regional police, but subsequent administrations unified the Nigeria Police Force. However, there have been glaring loopholes in funding, manpower, and equipment.”
According to him, the consequences of that neglect are evident in the worsening insecurity across the country.
“The police are the leading agency in internal security, yet they have been neglected. That is the result we are seeing today,” he added.
Okiro recalled writing to former President Goodluck Jonathan to draw attention to the closure of several police stations due to a shortage of personnel, warning that the force’s manpower deficit has long been a threat to national security.
He also lamented the poor welfare and career progression of officers on the frontlines, noting that many personnel have complained about delayed promotions despite risking their lives in the line of duty.
The former IGP urged the current Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to address the anomaly and prioritise the welfare, promotion, and motivation of rank-and-file officers to boost morale and improve security operations nationwide.
