Nigeria’s state police demand intensifies as the IG resists decentralisation, despite pressure from state assemblies and Nigeria’s worsening security crisis
State police demand has re-emerged at the forefront of Nigeria’s security discourse, sparking a clash between Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly.
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As debates on constitutional amendments continue, the call for decentralised policing now symbolises a fundamental turning point in how Nigeria intends to secure its future.
Egbetokun opposes the idea, insisting that reforming and better funding the existing central force is the preferred path.
He cites Sections 214 and 215 of the 1999 Constitution to defend the current structure, but that argument overlooks the growing evidence that one centrally managed police organisation cannot address Nigeria’s diverse, locally embedded security threats.
From terrorism in the North-East to banditry in the North-West and secessionist agitation in the South-East, Nigeria’s security crises differ by region and demand tailored responses.
In the South-West, kidnapping thrives, while the coastal South faces piracy. These problems cannot be solved through uniform, remote policing.
The Conference of Speakers, representing all 36 states, argues that the existing central structure is exhausted and ineffective.
Communities are left exposed while public confidence in federal policing diminishes. Their message is clear: decentralisation is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
During his June 18 visit to Benue, President Bola Tinubu asked why no suspects had been apprehended after the massacre of over 200 residents.
Egbetokun had no answer. Yet, he continues to claim that state police would be vulnerable to political abuse or be financially unsustainable for states.
That claim rings hollow when the federal police itself has been used to sway elections and protect the powerful, not the public.
More than half of Nigeria’s 400,000 police officers are assigned to VIPs and individuals with no official mandate.
Meanwhile, ordinary citizens in rural and urban communities remain at the mercy of criminal gangs and armed groups.
Officers deployed far from home often lack the commitment or knowledge to perform effectively, leading to an erosion of trust and an increase in abuse.
The state police demand Nigeria is now facing is not unprecedented. Countries with federal structures such as the United States, Canada and Australia maintain tiered policing systems that cater to their diversity.
Even the United Kingdom, a unitary state, operates 47 independent police services.
In Nigeria, state governments already provide vehicles, weapons, communication tools and allowances to the federal police.
They have demonstrated capacity and willingness. Regional security initiatives like Amotekun in the South-West, Civilian JTF in the North, and Agunechemba in the South-East have shown that decentralised security efforts work and can be formalised to enhance coordination.
The real concern should not be whether Nigeria can operate state police, but how soon it will implement it.
With strong constitutional guidelines, a defined command structure and proper oversight, state police can reinforce national security, not threaten it.
The National Assembly must take seriously the collective voice of the 36 states. A federation cannot thrive when it fails to reflect the will and security needs of its constituents.
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The time has come for Nigeria to adopt a policing model that respects its complexity and restores its people’s trust.
