- Safiu Kehinde
Security experts have renewed calls for urgent reform of Nigeria’s policing system with the introduction of state policing.
The experts cited the recent killings in Kaduna State and persistent insurgency in the North-East as clear evidence of the limitations of the current centralised structure.
As contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 46th Annual General Meeting of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI) they noted that Nigeria continues to grapple with complex and widespread security challenges.
These include terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and violent conflicts, particularly in the North-East and North-West regions.
The association observed that the current centralised policing framework under the Nigeria Police Force is overstretched, with about 371,800 personnel serving a population of over 200 million.
This, according to the communique, is resulting in a police-to-population ratio of 1:740, far below the United Nations recommended 1:450.
According to the experts, the structure has led to slow decision-making, inadequate local response, and operational gaps, noting that despite governors being designated as Chief Security Officers, they lack effective control over police commands in their states.
The communiqué added that military deployments across many states for internal security duties had further stretched the Armed Forces, underscoring the need for a more sustainable and locally responsive policing system.
It also Identified weak intelligence implementation, poor funding, inadequate logistics, corruption and public distrust as major challenges affecting policing effectiveness nationwide.
The experts warned that while concerns exist over the potential misuse of state police by political actors, these risks could be mitigated through strong legal frameworks, accountability mechanisms and clear operational guidelines.
They, therefore, advocated a hybrid policing model integrating state police and community policing, while retaining the Nigeria Police Force as the central coordinating authority.
The communiqué recommended constitutional amendments to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List, stressing that such reforms would enhance intelligence gathering, improve response time, and strengthen community trust.