Nigeria: Nigeria's Plan for State Police Raises Hopes for Security and Fears of Abuse

What the report says

Nigeria moved a step closer to creating state-level police forces after legislatures in 28 of the country’s 36 states approved a constitutional reform, according to Radio France Internationale as republished by AllAfrica. The proposal would let states establish their own police services alongside the federal force, which remains based in Abuja. The reform has already passed the Senate and now awaits presidential approval from Bola Tinubu before states can begin passing their own implementing laws.

The reported aim is to improve security in places where local policing has struggled to keep up with kidnappings, banditry, insurgent violence and other armed attacks. Supporters argue that officers recruited and deployed locally could better understand community dynamics, speak local languages and respond more quickly to threats. The article also notes that Nigeria has long faced a shortage of police personnel, and that military units have often been drawn into duties that would normally fall to police.

At the same time, the plan has raised concerns about abuse of power if governors use new forces for political or personal ends. The reported safeguards would bar partisan, ethnic or religious misuse and limit direct interference in arrests, investigations and elections. A proposed national oversight body would review disputes over unlawful orders.

The article also highlights a practical question: how poorer states would pay for training, salaries and equipment. It cautions that, without strong oversight and different policing models, state forces could repeat the corruption and weak accountability seen in the federal system.