The renewed clamour for State Police that has once again echoed loudly across Nigeria’s geo-political zones is not unexpected, considering the unprecedented rise in terrorists’ onslaught. This time, demand for state police is laced with an urgency the country can no longer afford to ignore, more so with the wave of massacres, banditry killings, and mass kidnappings in schools, worship centres, and rural communities.
At the second Joint Retreat of the House and Senate Committees on Constitution Review in Abuja, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, succinctly captured the public mood. Nigerians, he said, are no longer merely requesting reforms—they are demanding them. From state police to fiscal federalism, the calls for constitutional restructuring have reached a crescendo. Kalu reminded both the National Assembly and the 36 State Houses of Assembly that the burden of public expectation now rests squarely on their shoulders as the nation inches toward long-awaited constitutional amendments.
The issues at stake are not new. They include devolving power to strengthen grassroots governance, localising internal security, securing credible elections, entrenching fiscal federalism, protecting citizens’ rights across all divides, and guaranteeing full autonomy for local governments. What is new, however, is the sense of desperation—a collective recognition that centralised policing has failed disastrously.
Nowhere was this reality more evident than at the recent South-West Zonal Security Summit held in Lagos, where legislators, security experts, and traditional leaders renewed the call for State Police. The message from the region was unmistakable: insecurity has outpaced federal capacity.
Beyond rhetoric and declarations, there are signs that the South-West is prepared to act. In their meeting at the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan, governors of the six South-West states announced sweeping regional security measures. These include a dedicated security fund, a real-time intelligence-sharing network, and a coordinated front against the rising tide of criminality. The governors—Seyi Makinde, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Biodun Oyebanji, Dapo Abiodun, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the Osun Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi—left no doubt: the region is tired of waiting for federal rescue.
Governor Sanwo-Olu went further by calling for the strengthening and modernisation of Amotekun. He urged South-West governors, traditional rulers, and community leaders to transform the outfit into a unified, well-equipped, technology-driven force capable of cross-border operations and joint intelligence work. In his words, security must become a shared regional responsibility, not a federal monopoly.
Security stakeholders echoed this sentiment. Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, told participants that “localised challenges require local solutions”—a subtle but pointed critique of the over-centralised federal policing architecture. Civil society groups, youth organisations, and religious bodies added their voices, demanding better welfare for frontline security personnel.
Afenifere and the Yoruba Leaders of Thought were unequivocal: Amotekun must be strengthened, and State Police must be established. The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, captured what has become a national consensus—Nigeria can no longer secure its communities with a single, centrally controlled police force. At their recent meeting, the Southern Governors’ Forum once again reaffirmed their long-standing position that State Police is indispensable to reversing the frightening rise in insecurity. What is remarkable is what followed. Only days after the Southern governors’ declaration, the 19 Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council convened—and for the first time—openly endorsed the creation of State Police.
This is a dramatic shift. For years, Northern leaders vacillated and hesitated over decentralised policing. Today, they advocate it boldly. This convergence of North and South represents an unprecedented moment in Nigeria’s security discourse: a unanimous recognition that centralised policing has failed and cannot meet the country’s mounting security challenges.
The North-West Governors’ Forum added its voice, calling not only for State Police but also for fiscal federalism in the ongoing constitutional review process. Led by Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda, the forum stressed the urgency of constitutional amendments that reflect Nigeria’s harsh contemporary realities. Governor Radda emphasised that without sweeping reforms, the country will remain trapped in outdated structures that undermine both security and governance.
While political leaders debate structural reforms, the military is also adjusting to a rapidly evolving threat landscape. The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt-Gen Emmanuel Undiandeye, has acknowledged that Nigeria’s security environment is now “dynamic and complex,” with insurgency, terrorism, banditry, and organised crime ravaging multiple regions. He has disclosed that the Defence Intelligence Agency is strengthening its technological and human intelligence capabilities to meet these fast-changing threats. Yet even this military modernisation effort underscores a bigger reality: Nigeria’s security crisis requires localised intelligence and community-rooted responses that only State Police can provide.
State Police is not merely desirable—it is inevitable. The centralised police structure cannot cope with the scale, speed, and sophistication of crime in Nigeria today. Banditry, kidnapping, violent attacks, and targeted killings have overwhelmed federal policing capacity. Communities trapped in fear need responsive policing anchored in local knowledge and proximity.
Nigeria’s democratic imbalance—where power and resources remain over-centralised—has long been criticised. The current arrangement, which vests exclusive control of the police and the Federation Account in the Federal Government, undermines effective governance and contradicts the principles of federalism. This imbalance has repeatedly pitched states against the centre. Fiscal federalism and security federalism must go hand in hand. States must be empowered to create, fund, and operate their own police systems.
Indeed, Nigeria already has de facto State Police under different names. Amotekun in the South-West and Ebube Agu in the South-East are designed to perform police-like functions despite constitutional limitations. The current legal contradiction cannot continue indefinitely. The Constitution must catch up with reality by formally recognising and regulating State Police.
Critics fear that State Police could be abused by governors for political vendettas, as seen during the First Republic when regional police forces were weaponised against opponents. Such concerns are valid. But they are not insurmountable. Abuse can be prevented through clear legal safeguards, independent oversight commissions, autonomy in recruitment, transparent operational standards, and federal supervisory mechanisms. The fear of abuse is not enough reason to maintain a broken system. The insecurity Nigerians face today is far more dangerous than the theoretical risks of decentralisation.
President Tinubu appears to recognise this reality. He has repeatedly stated that the creation of the State Police is unavoidable. In February 2024, his administration established a committee to design a framework for State Police, and in November 2025, he approved the rollout—though limited to states that “require its establishment.” Yet real progress still hinges on constitutional amendment by the National Assembly. That amendment is long overdue.
President Tinubu and the National Assembly should, beyond mere declaration, muster the political will to create a legal, transparent, and well-regulated state police system.
A nation under siege cannot continue to debate the obvious. Decentralised policing is not a favour to the states; it is a constitutional imperative for survival. The National Assembly must act. The States must prepare. And the Federal Government must recognise that true security begins where people live—not at the centre, but in the communities.
