Former Member of the House of Representatives, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, has warned that establishing state police without first strengthening Nigeria’s existing policing architecture could worsen the country’s security challenges, insisting that the proposed reform must be carefully planned rather than rushed.
Speaking at the ARISE News Town Hall on State Police, Elendu-Ukeje said while she supports the devolution of policing powers, state police should not be presented as a “magic bullet” capable of solving Nigeria’s complex security problems.
Responding to concerns about the potential for political abuse under a decentralised policing system, she acknowledged that every reform creates new challenges but argued that the current proposal has not been sufficiently thought through.
“It is trite that every solution creates its own set of new challenges. It is also known that every innovation comes with its own disruption. So the concerns people have may be justified, but more importantly, I do not see that this is a process that has been well thought through,” she said.
Elendu-Ukeje noted that although there is broad national consensus on devolving security responsibilities to lower levels of government because policing has fallen short of expectations, policymakers must first examine the country’s current policing realities.
She argued that Nigeria’s security landscape has evolved significantly, with the police now confronting terrorism, violent extremism, banditry and illegal mining in addition to conventional crime.
“We must interrogate the kind of crimes we expect the Nigerian Police to deal with. Today, we have terrorism, fundamentalism, banditry and illegal mining. In many places, the police have effectively been de-policed. Many officers have been killed alongside the military, and they have not been replaced. In the South-East, many police stations have been burnt and have not been rebuilt,” she said.
According to her, building 36 state police services on what she described as a weak national police structure would be fundamentally flawed.
“If we do not have a strong national police, then it is difficult for us to build 36 police forces on a weak national police foundation,” she stated.
The former lawmaker stressed that while she supports devolution, the transition must follow a clearly defined roadmap.
“I agree that we must devolve. But the knee-jerk reaction to devolving must come with a process. We must establish transition timelines and clearly define what we are trying to achieve.”
She questioned whether state police would realistically be equipped to tackle terrorism and other sophisticated security threats.
“When people say, ‘Just establish state police and all our security problems will disappear,’ I ask: is state police the magic bullet? Nobody seems to answer that question.”
Elendu-Ukeje also identified inadequate funding as a major concern, noting that the Nigeria Police Force has long struggled financially.
“We will get the security we pay for. The question is: do states have the financial capacity to build the kind of policing system required to confront the security challenges we face today?”
She observed that although governors currently support police operations by providing vehicles and logistics, they do not procure critical security equipment.
“People say governors already fund about 80 per cent of police operations. Yes, they provide operational vehicles and fuel them, but they do not buy the arms, the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs), or the weapons.”
The former lawmaker further stressed the need for adequate personnel training, warning against rushing recruitment without proper preparation.
“The shortest training period at the Nigerian Police training schools is six months. Officers must be trained and retrained. There has to be a structured system for training, funding and institutional development.”
She also raised concerns over the proliferation of illicit firearms, revealing that the Nigeria Police had reportedly lost about 175,000 weapons from its armoury.
“As of today, the Nigerian Police has lost about 175,000 guns from its armoury. We are now talking about creating another police force and arming officers down to the village level. What happens to those weapons if there are no checks and balances? Is anybody discussing this with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons?”
According to her, any conversation about state policing must include plans to recover illegal weapons and strengthen arms control mechanisms.
“We cannot talk about insecurity without talking about mopping up illegal guns.”
Elendu-Ukeje also faulted the ongoing debate for overlooking the roles of other security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
“I have not heard anybody talk about the Civil Defence Corps. They are equipped and established to perform certain responsibilities. Where do they fit into this conversation? What will be the military’s role? Where are the jurisdictional boundaries and coordination mechanisms? I do not hear those conversations.”
She concluded that while state police may eventually become necessary, implementing the reform without addressing institutional coordination, funding, training, jurisdictional overlaps and accountability mechanisms risks creating even greater security challenges.
“I do not believe that, as we speak today, with the kind of insecurity Nigeria faces, state police alone will address terrorism and the other threats confronting the country. We need to think this through properly, establish timelines, create checks and balances, and resolve jurisdictional issues before moving forward.”
Boluwatife Enome
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