By Yemi Olajutemu
Ado Ekiti
Nigeria’s worsening security crisis has reached a point where conventional approaches can no longer guarantee the safety of lives and property. Across the country, communities continue to grapple with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, farmer herder conflicts, communal violence, armed robbery and other forms of criminality that have stretched the capacity of existing security institutions.
The inauguration of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill by President Bola Tinubu therefore represents one of the most significant institutional responses to the country’s security dilemma in recent years. If properly implemented, the proposed state policing framework could become a defining milestone in Nigeria’s quest to build a more responsive, efficient and community oriented security architecture.
For decades, Nigeria has operated a highly centralised policing system in which a single federal police institution is expected to provide security for a population of well over 200 million people spread across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Such an arrangement may have served the country during its formative years, but present realities have exposed its limitations.
Criminal activities have become increasingly sophisticated, localised and unpredictable. Security threats differ significantly from one region to another, making it difficult for a central command structure to respond promptly and effectively to every challenge. The inability of the present system to provide adequate security has fuelled growing calls for structural reforms.
The proposed constitutional amendment establishing a dual policing structure consisting of the Federal Police Service and State Police Services acknowledges this reality. However, constitutional recognition alone cannot solve the problem. President Tinubu’s emphasis that the National Policing Bill must operationalise the constitutional provisions demonstrates an important understanding of governance. Institutions do not function merely because they exist on paper. They require clear legal mandates, administrative procedures, financial frameworks, accountability mechanisms and operational guidelines. The National Policing Bill therefore represents the bridge between constitutional aspiration and practical implementation.
Equally commendable is the administration’s decision not to wait until the constitutional amendment process is fully concluded before commencing work on the operational framework. Governance often suffers from unnecessary bureaucratic delays that weaken policy outcomes.
By establishing the Presidential Working Group ahead of time, the government seeks to ensure that implementation can begin immediately once the constitutional requirements are fulfilled. This proactive approach reflects strategic planning rather than reactive governance, an attitude that should become the norm in public administration.
The broad composition of the committee also deserves recognition. Bringing together the Chief of Staff, the Attorney General of the Federation, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum provides a multidisciplinary platform capable of addressing the legal, constitutional, operational and political dimensions of state policing. Such inclusiveness increases the likelihood that the eventual legislation will reflect both national security priorities and the realities confronting state governments.
Nevertheless, the creation of state police is not without legitimate concerns. Nigeria’s political history contains painful memories of abuse by regional security institutions before the advent of the current democratic dispensation. There are understandable fears that some state governors could misuse state police to intimidate political opponents, suppress dissent or interfere with electoral processes. These concerns should neither be dismissed nor exaggerated. Instead, they should guide the drafting of robust safeguards capable of preventing abuse while preserving the operational independence of state police commands.
It is therefore encouraging that the proposed National Policing Bill intends to include provisions on minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal and state coordination, accountability, human rights protection and fiscal responsibility. These are not mere administrative details but the pillars upon which public confidence in state policing will depend.
Independent oversight bodies, transparent recruitment procedures, professional training, judicial review, legislative supervision, strict disciplinary mechanisms and constitutional guarantees for citizens’ rights must form integral components of the new policing framework. Security achieved at the expense of civil liberties ultimately weakens democracy rather than strengthens it.
Beyond legislation, however, successful policing requires adequate funding, modern technology, intelligence gathering, forensic capacity, continuous personnel development and strong collaboration between security agencies and local communities. Many of Nigeria’s security failures stem not only from institutional weaknesses but also from poor intelligence, inadequate logistics, low morale and insufficient public trust. State police should therefore complement rather than compete with federal institutions. Effective information sharing, joint operations and coordinated command structures will be essential in preventing jurisdictional conflicts that criminals could exploit.
The success of state policing will ultimately be measured not by the passage of legislation but by its impact on ordinary Nigerians. Farmers must be able to cultivate their land without fear of violent attacks. Children should attend school in safety. Businesses should operate without the constant threat of kidnapping, extortion or armed robbery. Investors, both domestic and foreign, require a secure environment before committing capital to economic activities. Security remains the foundation upon which national development, social stability and democratic governance rest. Without it, economic reforms, infrastructure development and social welfare programmes cannot achieve their intended outcomes.
The inauguration of the Presidential Working Group should therefore be viewed as the beginning rather than the conclusion of Nigeria’s policing reform journey. The opportunity before the nation is historic. If the National Policing Bill establishes a professional, accountable, rights based and community centred policing system that balances federal oversight with state responsiveness, Nigeria may finally begin to reverse decades of deteriorating internal security. The challenge before policymakers is not merely to create another institution but to build a policing system that earns public trust, strengthens democracy and guarantees the safety of every citizen. That is the true measure of meaningful security reform and the lasting legacy Nigerians deserve.