Establishing State Police Now Urgent, Group Tells FG

The Igbo Heroes and Icons Foundation has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to treat the creation of state police as an urgent national priority to address the country’s worsening security challenges.

In a statement released on Friday, the foundation’s president, Chinedu Nsofor, said decentralising the policing system would greatly improve intelligence gathering and security operations.

He commended Bola Ahmed Tinubu for directing the Kayode Egbetokun to develop modalities for state police, stressing that the directive should be implemented swiftly.

According to him, fears that governors might misuse the system should not delay the reform.

“The Igbo Heroes and Icons Foundation maintains that a decentralized policing model would significantly improve intelligence gathering and response time. Local officers are more familiar with the terrain, languages, culture, and social networks within their communities.”

Delays in current policing structure

The group explained that the current centralised policing structure often slows down security responses.

“With the current system, police commands must often wait for directives from Abuja before taking major operational decisions. In situations where terrorists or bandits strike rural communities, such delays can be fatal.”

It noted that a state policing system would allow governors and security authorities to respond faster to threats within their states.

Structural gap in security management

The foundation said Nigeria’s security crisis is largely due to structural limitations in the current system.

Although governors are constitutionally designated as Chief Security Officers, they lack direct control over policing structures needed to protect their states.

According to the group, allowing states to establish and manage their own police forces would strengthen national security and bridge this gap.

Checks to prevent political misuse

While acknowledging concerns that governors might misuse state police, the group insisted that strong institutional checks can address such fears.

“To prevent this, the modalities for state policing must incorporate strong institutional safeguards.”

Support for community security groups

The foundation also emphasised that state police would help formalise collaboration with community security outfits.

“Currently, many states have established vigilante groups, but these groups are severely limited by law because they lack access to modern equipment and proper legal backing.”

It added that constitutional recognition of state police would allow these groups to be properly trained, regulated and equipped to secure rural communities.

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