Nigeria's State Police Debate Intensifies

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana warned that creating state police in Nigeria will not curb insecurity unless underlying social and institutional problems—such as poverty, unemployment, weak justice systems and political impunity—are addressed. He cautioned that without strong safeguards, state police could become tools for political intimidation and oppression.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State defended the proposal, calling state police the most practical answer to the country's rising insecurity. He argued that the Senate‑passed bill contains multiple oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse, and that governors are ready to fund the new forces. The governor emphasized that the law would allow faster, localized responses to kidnappings, banditry and other attacks.

The debate follows President Bola Tinubu’s transmission of a constitutional amendment bill to the Senate, seeking to establish state police alongside the federal force. If enacted, the reform would represent the most significant security sector change in Nigeria since the return to democracy in 1999.