Former lawmaker Nnenna Ukeje has cautioned that Nigeria risks failure if it attempts to launch 36 state police forces before stabilizing the national police. Speaking at an ARISE News event, Ukeje acknowledged the public demand for decentralized security due to rising insecurity but emphasized that institutional readiness must precede policy implementation.
While proponents like Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and Governor Dauda Lawal advocate for state-level policing, Ukeje questioned the sustainability of such a shift. She highlighted that many existing police stations remain destroyed and understaffed, noting that the national force itself faces significant operational deficits. She argued that simply creating new layers of policing is not a universal fix for terrorism or systemic crime.
Financial viability remains a critical concern for Ukeje, who asked if states truly possess the budget to maintain modern, well-equipped security agencies. She pointed to a troubling lack of oversight regarding lost firearms from police armories, raising alarms about the risks of arming additional personnel without strict controls. Furthermore, she urged officials to clarify how state police would interact with the military and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to avoid jurisdictional conflicts. Ukeje concluded that a structured, phased approach with clear safeguards is necessary to prevent these reforms from exacerbating the nation’s security crisis.
