A coalition of security stakeholders in the Southwest has urged President Bola Tinubu to expedite action on the State Police Bill, arguing that decentralised policing remains crucial to addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
The call was made after an extraordinary meeting of the Southwest Security Stakeholders Group held at Oodua House in Ikeja, Lagos.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the group said the National Assembly had already passed the bill and urged the President to facilitate its implementation without unnecessary delays.
The stakeholders also appealed to governors and Houses of Assembly across the Southwest to begin putting in place the legal and institutional frameworks required for the establishment of state police structures.
According to the group, insecurity remains a major concern in several parts of the country despite relative improvements in some regions.
The stakeholders noted that communities in the North, Middle Belt and parts of Southern Nigeria continue to experience kidnapping, armed robbery, cult-related violence and other criminal activities.
They argued that a decentralised policing structure would enable states to respond more effectively to local security threats while improving intelligence gathering and community engagement.
The group warned that delays in implementing state police reforms could prolong existing security challenges and deny communities the benefits of locally driven security solutions.
Supporting the position, a Nigerian in the Diaspora, Dr. Femi Oshoniyi, said state police would provide a more efficient framework for crime prevention and response because personnel would possess better knowledge of local communities and security dynamics.
He acknowledged concerns about capacity and oversight but maintained that proper legal safeguards and institutional checks could address potential abuses.
The proposed constitutional amendment on state policing is expected to be presented to President Tinubu in September and will require approval from at least 24 state Houses of Assembly before becoming operational.
Stakeholders insist that the reform has the potential to significantly reshape Nigeria’s security architecture and strengthen efforts to combat crime nationwide.
