CALLS for the creation of state police have intensified, with prominent groups including Afenifere, northern elders, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) demanding urgent action from the Federal Government.
Their demands follow renewed assurances from President Bola Tinubu, who, during a recent meeting with a Katsina State delegation, said he was reviewing Nigeria’s security structure and committed to establishing state police.
Despite Tinubu’s assurances, progress has been slow.
Talks between the Federal Government and state governors began in February 2024, with all 36 states eventually submitting reports to the National Economic Council (NEC).
However, deliberations have been repeatedly postponed, with the Council most recently deferring discussions until January 2026.
Afenifere’s spokesperson, Jare Ajayi, welcomed the President’s remarks but urged him to eliminate bureaucratic delays.
He argued that state policing is “long overdue” and essential to addressing Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
Similarly, MBF President, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, stressed that state police align with true federalism and dismissed fears of potential abuse by governors.
PANDEF also echoed this position, insisting that the current structure—where commissioners of police report to the Inspector-General rather than state governors—undermines effective security at the state level.
The push comes against a backdrop of rising violence.
Recent attacks include the killing of at least 50 worshippers in a Katsina mosque, mass kidnappings in the northwest, and a cholera outbreak in Zamfara exacerbated by bandit activities.
Data from the National Human Rights Commission shows that 2,266 Nigerians were killed in the first half of 2025, more than double the number recorded during the same period in 2024.
While proponents argue that decentralising the police would help states respond more quickly to local threats, critics warn that state forces could become tools of political oppression.
Groups such as the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria describe the plan as a “misplaced priority,” arguing that the federal police should instead be better funded, equipped, and expanded.
Former Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu, also criticised the government’s indecision, suggesting that political leaders prefer the current centralised system because it consolidates federal control.
In response, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, defended the administration, saying the process requires careful legislative groundwork to avoid pitfalls.
He insisted that state police remain a top priority in Tinubu’s broader security reform agenda.
For now, however, the issue remains stalled in policy limbo.
With worsening insecurity and mounting pressure from civil society, regional groups, and security experts, the Federal Government faces renewed urgency to decide whether to embrace decentralised policing or continue with Nigeria’s overstretched federal system.