Nigeria faces renewed calls for state police reform

The debate over establishing state police in Nigeria has intensified as the country seeks to address worsening security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping. Proponents argue that a decentralized policing model would improve grassroots intelligence and response times by ensuring security forces understand local terrain and community needs.

However, concerns have been raised regarding the potential for political abuse. Critics warn that state-level security structures could be vulnerable to influence from political power brokers and financiers who operate outside official scrutiny. In Anambra State, the implementation of the Homeland Security Law 2025 and frameworks like Operation Udo Ga-Achị serve as a case study for how publicly funded security apparatuses might be diverted from their statutory purposes to serve private interests.

In his book, ‘The Imperative of State Police in Nigeria’, analyst Magnus Onyibe advocates for a two-tier policing model. He suggests that while decentralization is necessary to move away from the limitations of the current centralized system, it must be accompanied by modern technology, adequate funding, and firm safeguards to prevent governors or influential individuals from misusing state resources.