Three civil society organisations have warned the Federal Government that the establishment of state police, on its own, will not resolve Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, insisting that the country must also tackle the underlying governance, economic and social challenges driving violence and criminality.

The groups — the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Africana League and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), made this submission during a webinar held on Tuesday, July 28, titled “Insecurity and State Policing in Nigeria: The Way Forward.”

The organisations argued that while decentralising policing could improve security responses at the grassroots, meaningful reforms must also address poverty, unemployment, corruption, weak institutions, political exclusion and impunity, which they identified as major drivers of insecurity.

Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, who spoke on “State Policing in Nigeria: The Imperative, the Risks and the Architecture for Accountability,” cautioned against viewing insecurity solely as a policing challenge.

According to him, police institutions can only respond to crime but cannot eliminate the structural conditions that fuel criminality.

“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,” Nwanguma said.

He acknowledged the potential benefits of decentralised policing but warned that state police could replicate existing abuses unless strong accountability mechanisms are established.

Nwanguma advocated national minimum standards for recruitment, training and discipline, operational independence from partisan political control, independent civilian oversight, transparent complaints mechanisms, sustainable funding and safeguards against the use of police for electoral intimidation or suppression of political opponents.

“Without these safeguards, decentralisation may simply transfer abuse from Abuja to the state capitals,” he warned.

The RULAAC executive director also raised concerns over the ongoing constitutional amendment process on state policing, urging the National Assembly to ensure transparency, broad public consultation and rigorous debate before adopting such a far-reaching reform.

He called for meaningful participation by civil society organisations, professional bodies, traditional institutions, women, youth groups, labour unions and security experts in shaping the proposed framework.

Also speaking, Executive Director of Africana League, Dr Glory Ukwenga, stressed that young people must play a central role in any reform of Nigeria’s policing architecture.

She noted that although youths account for more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population, they remain largely excluded from discussions on state policing.

Ukwenga proposed 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 and greater youth involvement in policing oversight and performance evaluation.

She also advocated youth-focused recruitment initiatives, civic education on security governance and digital platforms that would enable young people to report security concerns, participate in consultations and provide policy feedback.

CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, who presented a paper titled “Building a People-Centred Security Framework for Nigeria,” said the debate should focus not only on decentralising policing but also on defining the kind of police service Nigeria seeks 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 argued that policing should be rooted in respect for human rights, accountability and community participation rather than serving as an instrument of political intimidation.

He further maintained that deteriorating public services and inadequate access to education, electricity, potable water, quality roads and employment opportunities continue to undermine national security.

The CAPPA executive director cautioned against rushing constitutional reforms solely in response to the country’s security crisis, urging policymakers to learn from the shortcomings of existing institutions before creating new policing structures.

The speakers unanimously agreed that Nigeria’s security challenges require a comprehensive approach beyond establishing additional police forces.

They urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to ensure that any state policing framework promotes professionalism, accountability, respect for human rights and public trust while strengthening democracy and the rule of law instead of creating new avenues for political interference and abuse.

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