Civil society organisations have warned that the establishment of state police alone will not resolve Nigeria’s growing insecurity, urging the Federal Government to tackle the underlying governance, economic and social factors driving violence and crime.
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Africana League and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) made the call during a webinar held on Tuesday titled “Insecurity and State Policing in Nigeria: The Way Forward.”
The organisations advocated a comprehensive approach that combines policing and justice sector reforms with good governance, economic opportunities, stronger accountability mechanisms and meaningful youth participation in any proposed state policing framework.
Speaking on the topic, “State Policing in Nigeria: The Imperative, the Risks and the Architecture for Accountability,” RULAAC Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, cautioned against treating insecurity solely as a policing issue.
According to him, governance failures, poverty, unemployment, corruption, impunity, weak institutions, communal conflicts and political exclusion are among the structural factors fueling insecurity.
“Police can respond to crime, but they cannot eliminate the structural conditions that produce it. No restructuring of police institutions alone will solve Nigeria’s security crisis,” he said.
While acknowledging that decentralised policing could improve responsiveness to local security challenges, Nwanguma warned that it could also replicate existing abuses if adequate safeguards are not put in place.
He called for national minimum standards for recruitment, training and discipline, operational independence from partisan political control, independent civilian oversight, transparent complaints mechanisms, sustainable funding and legal safeguards against the use of state police for electoral intimidation or the suppression of political opposition.
“Without these safeguards, decentralisation may simply transfer abuse from Abuja to the state capitals,” he warned.
Nwanguma also urged the National Assembly to ensure broad stakeholder consultations before amending the Constitution to establish state police, saying civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional institutions, women, youth groups, labour unions and security experts should be given meaningful opportunities to contribute to the process.
Also speaking, Executive Director of Africana League, Dr. Glory Ukwenga, stressed that young people must be deliberately included in any policing reform, describing them as both major actors and victims of insecurity.
She noted that although youths make up more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population, they remain largely excluded from conversations on the proposed state policing structure.
Ukwenga called for youth representation on state police service commissions and police-community relations committees, the establishment of youth advisory councils on security, structured consultations with youth organisations, youth participation in policing oversight, and the creation of digital platforms for reporting security concerns and contributing to policy discussions.
In his presentation titled “Building a People-Centred Security Framework for Nigeria,” CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the debate should focus not only on creating state police but on the kind of policing system Nigeria intends to build.
“The fundamental issue is the philosophy behind the kind of policing we want to have in Nigeria. Do we want a police service that communities can relate with? Or do we just want to instil fear so that the elites and those in authority can exert violence on the people?” he asked.
Oluwafemi maintained that policing must be rooted in respect for human rights, accountability and community participation rather than intimidation and political control.
He also argued that poor access to quality education, healthcare, water, electricity, roads and employment continues to fuel insecurity, urging the government not to rush constitutional reforms without addressing the weaknesses of existing institutions.
The speakers agreed that Nigeria’s security challenges require more than the creation of additional police forces, stressing that the country’s priority should be building professional, accountable and rights-respecting security institutions that enjoy public trust.
They urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to ensure that any state policing arrangement strengthens democracy and the rule of law rather than creating new avenues for political interference, repression and abuse.