The imperative of state policing in Nigeria’s security crisis

Nigeria’s escalating insecurity has reached a critical juncture, necessitating urgent and strategic responses that go beyond traditional rhetoric and half-measures.

The clamour for the establishment of state police forces is not only growing louder but has become a rallying cry for a nation on the brink.

This call, once muted by political considerations, has found vocal supporters across the political and social spectrum, including Peoples Democratic Party governors, northern advocacy groups, and the esteemed former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau. Legal luminary Wole Olanipekun (SAN), alongside past presidents of the Nigerian Bar Association, has also underscored the urgency of this demand.

Their voices are timely, albeit late, and we must heed their warnings; any further procrastination could spell disaster for the Nigerian state.The security landscape in Nigeria has been deteriorating at an alarming rate. Under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the nation has witnessed a surge in violent activities by bandits and terrorists, particularly in Plateau and Benue states, where recent massacres have claimed approximately 250 lives and led to the destruction of property.

The Federal Capital Territory is now a hotspot for kidnappings, an issue that has become disturbingly commonplace. Ekiti and Kwara states have also experienced significant security breaches.No region is spared; from the South-East to the South-West, the North-West to the South-South, the entire country is exposed to the threat of violence.

The Civil Society Joint Action Group has reported that 17,000 Nigerians have been abducted during the terms of Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu. According to SBM Intelligence, the Buhari era saw 63,111 Nigerian lives lost, and in just the first eight months of Tinubu’s tenure, 2,423 have been killed and 1,872 kidnapped.

The current centralised police system is not only anachronistic but also demonstrably ineffective, plagued by weaknesses and a chronic shortage of personnel.

Criminal elements exploit these vulnerabilities with impunity, leaving citizens to suffer the consequences of governmental inaction and shortsightedness.The need for state police in Nigeria is not a matter of political debate but a necessity for survival.

The recent abduction of pupils and staff members of a school in Emure-Ekiti, as well as the murders of two Ekiti monarchs, highlights the urgent need for a more effective policing system in Nigeria.

With a population of over 220 million, the current police force of 371,000 officers, two-thirds of whom are attached to VIPs, is insufficient to provide adequate security. This has allowed insurgents to seize control of hinterland territories, imposing brutal rule over locals.

To address this, the military has been deployed, but with limited success.The need for a multi-layered policing system has become apparent, as those who previously opposed it are now embracing the idea after experiencing avoidable calamities.

In addition to insurgency, oil theft is rampant in the oil-bearing areas, with an estimated 400,000 barrels per day being stolen. Over 2.5 million people have been displaced from their homes in the last decade, with crime becoming more sophisticated, including kidnapping for ransom, killings, cultism, cybercrimes, drug abuse, and human trafficking.

The UNDP estimates the cost of Nigeria’s security challenge at $97 billion, almost 19 times greater than that of Libya, which has had the second-highest cost of terrorism over a 10-year period. This insecurity has also deterred international investors, diminishing opportunities for job creation, technology transfer, and economic growth.

It is clear that Nigeria must urgently address its security challenges to prevent further harm to its citizens and economy.

To save the country from the grip of insecurity, the leadership must invoke the ‘doctrine of necessity’ and empower states to establish their own police force.

A recent attempt to amend the 1999 Constitution by the Ninth House of Representatives failed to pass. While some governors have set up vigilante groups to complement the police and other security forces, this is not a long-term solution.

It is merely a cosmetic measure that cannot provide the necessary pushback that a constitutionally-backed state police force can offer.In contrast, all 25 federal countries in the world, except Nigeria, operate a decentralized police force.

The United States, for example, has almost 18,000 federal, state, city, county, and campus agencies. India’s constitution delegates law enforcement, resulting in the federal government, 28 states, and eight union territories each having their own police forces. However, the police chiefs in the states are jointly appointed by the national Indian Police Service. The United Kingdom, a unitary country, has 45 police forces.

Therefore, changing the policing structure is one of the major ways to address the current insecurity crisis. Tinubu, the National Assembly, and state governors must stop pretending and work diligently to push back against the insecurity threatening to engulf the nation.

The National Assembly must go beyond summoning the service chiefs every time there is a security breach and invoke the doctrine of necessity to empower states to establish their own police force. This is an idea whose time has come and must be implemented urgently.

A decentralised policing structure would enable tailored responses to the unique security challenges of each state, fostering a more proactive and efficient approach to law enforcement.

The federal government must act decisively. It must listen to the voices of reason and experience that are calling for a fundamental overhaul of the nation’s security apparatus.

The establishment of state police forces should be a priority in this reform process. It is a step that can no longer be delayed if we are to preserve the integrity and sovereignty of the Nigerian state.

As a nation, we cannot afford to stand by as the fabric of our society is torn apart by violence and lawlessness.

The time for state police is now. It is a call to action that we must answer with courage and conviction. Let us not wait until the situation becomes irretrievable.  Let us act now, for the sake of our nation’s present and future.