When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared, “I have to create state police,” he wasn’t just making another political speech, he was lighting a match inside Nigeria’s already volatile security debate.
For decades, Nigerians have argued whether our problems are due to bandits, kidnappers, or terrorists. But now, the real question is this: can security ever work in Nigeria if it’s controlled from Abuja?
Tinubu seems to think the answer is no. And so, with one sentence, he has put the nation on notice: state police is coming.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a courtesy visit by prominent Katsina indigenes led by Governor Dikko Radda, Tinubu assured that the federal government is fully committed to confronting security challenges head-on.
The president directed security agencies to reassess operations in Katsina State, which has recently witnessed a surge in banditry.
He also revealed plans to deploy advanced military equipment, surveillance technology, and strengthen the capacity of newly recruited forest guards.
“The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it,” Tinubu said. “I have today directed all the security agencies to energise further and look at the strategies. We have approved the additional acquisition of drones.”
On state policing, Tinubu added: “I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create state police. We are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity. We must protect our children, our people, our livelihood, our places of worship, and our recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us.”
The Police System
Nigeria has always run a centralised police system. The Inspector General of Police sits in Abuja, giving orders to officers who often don’t even speak the local language of the communities they’re posted to. The result? A police system that is stretched too thin, too slow, and too disconnected from the realities on the ground.
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Tinubu’s argument is simple: “Security is local. You can’t police a community you don’t understand.”
That’s why the president is now openly throwing his weight behind the creation of state police, despite knowing it could spark political chaos.
The Risks Nobody Wants To Talk About
Here’s the bitter truth: state police could save Nigeria, or it could destroy it.
1. Political Abuse: Imagine a governor with absolute control of a police force during elections. Opposition rallies could be “shut down for security reasons,” while loyalists get police escorts.
2. Ethnic Policing: In a country where tribal tension simmers daily, what happens when a state police force starts prioritizing “sons of the soil” over “outsiders”?
3. Power Grab: Critics warn that some governors might see state police as private armies—ready to enforce loyalty and crush dissent.
Even the Inspector General of Police recently warned that Nigeria is “not ready” for state policing. But Tinubu is pushing forward anyway.
What Tinubu Will Need
By throwing his weight behind state police, Tinubu has effectively challenged Nigeria’s entire political structure. To make this happen, he’ll need constitutional amendments, bipartisan support, and a plan to prevent governors from turning state police into political thugs.
But one thing is clear: Tinubu has taken ownership of the insecurity crisis. If it works, he’ll be remembered as the president who finally fixed Nigeria’s security system. If it fails? History will say he gave governors the license to oppress.
