President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent declaration of a nationwide security emergency and his explicit call for the National Assembly to review laws so states can establish their own police has reopened a long-running debate that now demands urgent, sober action.
To be crystal sure, a multi-level policing structure is not merely a policy shift. It is a constitutional and practical necessity whose time has providentially come.
In other words, the argument for state policing in a federating country is both constitutional and practical: policing that is closer to communities improves local intelligence, speeds response, and allows rules, tactics and priorities to match local realities rather than a one-size-fits-all national posture. Tinubu’s statement sets a legal and political cue that the centre and the federating units must now act in concert.
Why state police? In a true federation, security responsibilities must reflect the principle of subsidiarity—handling matters at the most local level capable of addressing them effectively. A monolithic, centrally controlled police force, no matter its dedication, cannot possess the granular intelligence, cultural nuance, or rapid response capability required across Nigeria’s diverse and vast landscape. State police forces, designed and deployed according to local security peculiarities; from farmer-herder conflicts to urban kidnappings and coastal piracy, represent a logical devolution of power. They promise policing by consent and proximity, fostering greater community trust and cooperation, the bedrock of effective crime prevention.
Therefore, the National Assembly must act with unprecedented dispatch. The weight of history and the urgency of the present security crisis demand that enabling constitutional and legal frameworks be crafted, debated, and passed with a profound sense of mission. Deliberation is vital, but delay is complicity. The Assembly must provide a robust, clear architecture that establishes standards, safeguards against abuse, ensures inter-agency collaboration, and delineates the operational boundaries between federal and state authorities.
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This model is not an experiment; it is a global norm in federations.
Examples include the United States (state and highway police in every state), India (state police forces operating alongside federal agencies), Australia (state police forces) and parts of Canada and Brazil where provincial/state forces operate with distinct local mandates; each showing how multi-layer policing can complement national security structures.
Their advantages are evident: localized command allows for tailored strategies, faster deployment, and accountability to local elected officials, while federal agencies tackle interstate and national crimes. The result is often a more agile, responsive, and integrated security apparatus.
History matters: The agitation for state police in Nigeria is decades old, rooted in the quest for a more perfect union. Providentially, the current push finds its echoes in the past advocacy of a key architect of today’s politics. In 2003, then-Governor Bola Tinubu was a vocal proponent of state police, arguing passionately for its necessity in tackling Lagos’s unique security challenges. Two decades later, as President, he is positioned to shepherd this critical reform into reality, a compelling full-circle moment that underscores the persistence of this rational idea.
Framing this moment as providential does not erase the hard work ahead; it simply underlines that long-standing local wisdom about the limits of a centrally managed force has arrived at a decisive national moment.
Again, to the National Assembly: move fast, but move wisely. Any enabling law must define jurisdiction, funding, recruitment standards, oversight mechanisms, inter-force cooperation and anti-abuse safeguards. Poorly drafted statutes would only supplant one dysfunction with another. State police without firm legal limits risks politicisation. Legislators should adopt model provisions drawn from federal examples and elsewhere: clear rules on use of force, independent oversight commissions, and fiscal transfer arrangements for training and technology. Other States can copy already prepared framework guidelines from Lagos State.
Furthermore, evidence on crime reduction and technology is instructive. Systematic reviews show that technologies such as CCTV produce modest but significant reductions in some crimes (especially in public gatherings, election centers parties, car parks and general public spaces), while body-worn cameras reduce use-of-force incidents and improve accountability. Community-policing models have reduced particular crimes in some studies though evidence varies by context.
Combined, local forces, modern data systems, cameras, rapid-response patrols and community partnerships and empirical literature suggests measurable reductions in targeted crime types and better clearance rates. Policymakers should therefore budget for technology, analytics and training as part of state-police rollouts.
Methinks this is a rare window:
governors, the Legislature and the presidency now share a convergent interest. Let states draft operational plans; let the National Assembly produce robust enabling laws; let civil society insist on transparency. The choice is stark; preserve the status quo of delayed responses and over-stretched national resources, or embrace a reformed, accountable, locally-anchored policing architecture calibrated with modern technology. If history and recent leadership converge, Nigeria should treat this as providence: an opportunity to build a safer federation — fast, firmly and with democratic safeguards.
Now that the 19 Northern Governors and the region’s Traditional Rulers’ Council have issued a strong communiqué after an emergency joint meeting held recently at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna, declaring full backing for State Police: “The governors and traditional rulers reiterated their “wholehearted support” for the creation of state police and urged northern federal and state lawmakers to fast-track the necessary constitutional amendments”.
The directive is clear. State governments must now diligently build their institutional and operational blueprints. The National Assembly must rise to the moment with courageous and timely legislation. Nigeria stands at the brink of a transformative security restructuring. For the sake of every citizen’s safety and the integrity of our federation, both tiers of government must be alive to their responsibilities. The time for talk is over; the era of actionable, localised security must begin.
