Amid escalating violence, kidnappings, and persistent security failures across Nigeria, several state Houses of Assembly are considering moves to establish state police, a reform long debated and recently urged by President Bola Tinubu as part of proposed constitutional amendments.
Nigeria currently has fewer than 400,000 federal police officers to serve over 200 million citizens, leaving many communities vulnerable to criminal and terrorist attacks.
Last week, President Tinubu declared a security emergency, calling on the Police and Armed Forces to recruit additional personnel and urging the National Assembly to legalize state policing for regions in need.
The proposal, part of ongoing constitutional review, is expected to be transmitted to the 36 state assemblies soon, according to Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
In Plateau State, one of the regions worst affected by banditry, the House of Assembly expressed readiness to back state police. A top assembly source said:
“We want the insecurity to end. If state police can achieve that, we are ready as a Plateau Assembly.”
Speaker Daniel Naalong had previously written to the National Assembly urging swift action, noting that while concerns about political misuse exist, protecting human life must remain the priority.
Communities in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Mangu, Riyom, Wase, Qua’an Pan, and Jos South have suffered repeated deadly attacks.
Sokoto State lawmakers pledged to fast-track any bill establishing state police, citing the success of their Community Guard Corps.
In Borno, the Assembly also indicated readiness to implement state police once the National Assembly transmits the bill.
Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani emphasized that Nigeria’s centralised policing system can no longer ensure security for rural communities, with fewer than 400,000 officers nationwide.
Zamfara State, another hotspot for banditry, said it will soon submit a state police bill and highlighted the support of its Community Protection Guards.
In Kano State, deliberations on the proposal will begin when lawmakers resume in mid-December.
Governor Abba Yusuf’s office noted that local initiatives, including Neighbourhood Watch programs, complement federal efforts.
Ondo State has already implemented its own security network, Amotekun, effectively operating as a state-level police system.
Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Tunji Fabiyi, noted that the recent recruitment of 500 additional Amotekun corps will further strengthen the state’s security architecture.
Other states, including Gombe and Nasarawa, are reviewing or awaiting the transmission of the proposal from their executive branches.
Across the country, there is growing consensus that decentralised policing could help curb the worsening insecurity, though constitutional amendments remain necessary for states to legally operate their own police forces.
Nigerians now await the National Assembly’s next steps to provide the legal framework for state police, a move many hope will address the rising tide of violence.
