State Police: Nigeria Must Choose Between Reform and Rising Insecurity — Jude Imagwe

Public affairs analyst and a former Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youth and Student Matters,  Jude Imagwe, MON, has urged Nigerians to support the establishment of state police, arguing that the country can no longer afford to allow fears of potential abuse to outweigh the urgent need to address worsening insecurity.

In a policy statement titled “Fearing State Police or Fearing Insecurity? Why Nigeria Must Choose Between Managing the Risks of Reform and Living with the Consequences of Failure,” Imagwe said Nigeria’s security challenges have exposed the limitations of the current policing structure, making comprehensive reform imperative.

He maintained that while concerns over the possible misuse of state police by governors are legitimate, they should not derail a reform capable of strengthening intelligence gathering, improving community policing, and enhancing rapid response to security threats.

According to him, Nigeria’s increasingly localised security challenges—including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, farmer-herder conflicts, organised crime, and cyber-enabled offences—require a policing system that is closer to the people and better equipped to respond to local realities.

Imagwe noted that countries such as South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya have adopted varying forms of decentralised policing while maintaining national oversight, demonstrating that shared security responsibilities can coexist with constitutional safeguards.

He stressed that the success of state police would depend on robust institutional safeguards, including independent state police service commissions, merit-based recruitment, judicial and legislative oversight, civilian complaint mechanisms, federal minimum operational standards, and strong human rights protections.

“The answer is not to reject reform but to design reform wisely,” he stated, adding that no democratic institution is completely immune from abuse, yet societies strengthen institutions through accountability rather than abandoning them.

Imagwe further argued that trust between government, security agencies and local communities remains essential for effective intelligence gathering and crime prevention, saying the proposed reform presents an opportunity to rebuild public confidence in Nigeria’s security architecture.

He called on policymakers and citizens to rise above political considerations and support reforms that prioritise the safety of Nigerians, insisting that the debate over state police is ultimately about securing the nation’s future.

“The challenge before us is not whether State Police is perfect. No institution is. The challenge is whether Nigeria possesses the courage, wisdom and political maturity to build a policing system that reflects our federal character while protecting our democratic values,” he said.

Imagwe concluded that while every major reform carries risks, refusing to reform carries even greater consequences, urging Nigeria to embrace bold but well-regulated security reforms capable of restoring public confidence, protecting lives, and strengthening national development.