Recovered Toyota Corolla and suspect paraded by Akwa Ibom State Police Command following a car theft operation.
Senior government officials, governors, lawmakers and security experts have renewed calls for the establishment of state police, arguing that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity requires a decentralised policing system backed by strong legal safeguards, sustainable funding and community participation.
The consensus emerged at the ARISE News and THISDAY Town Hall on State Police and National Security in Abuja, where participants said state police could strengthen intelligence gathering, improve response to crime and enhance public safety if properly regulated.
The renewed push comes days after President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to develop the legal framework for implementing state police following the Senate’s passage of the constitutional amendment bill.
The proposed amendment seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing states to establish and operate their own police services under a nationally regulated framework.
Supporters say the reform will improve local intelligence, speed up emergency response and make policing more accountable to communities, while critics warn that governors could abuse state police for political purposes unless adequate constitutional safeguards are put in place.
Speaking at the event, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, said military operations alone cannot end terrorism, banditry and other forms of violent crime.
He stressed that lasting peace requires a combination of security operations, intelligence gathering, dialogue, community engagement and efforts to address the root causes of insecurity.
Musa said counter-insurgency operations remain difficult because terrorists often operate within civilian populations, making it challenging to distinguish between criminals and innocent residents.
Drawing on international experience, he noted that countries facing similar security threats have relied on long-term strategies that combine military action with non-military approaches.
Participants at the town hall agreed that while state police could strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, its success would depend on robust legal protections, effective oversight and safeguards to prevent political interference and ensure accountability.
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