State Police Bill: Why I Fully Support Decentralized Policing — Ndume

Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, has explained why he strongly supports the establishment of state police, describing it as a necessary step towards tackling Nigeria’s growing security challenges.

Speaking on Wednesday during an appearance on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, Ndume argued that the current structure of the Nigeria Police Force is inadequate for a country with a population exceeding 200 million people.

His comments came shortly after the Senate passed the bill seeking the creation of state police as part of efforts to strengthen security across the country.

According to the lawmaker, Nigeria requires at least one million police officers to effectively police its vast population and territory, noting that the country falls far below international standards.

“What prompted me to support state police 100 per cent is the reality that the number of police officers we currently have is far from adequate,” Ndume said.

He explained that, based on United Nations recommendations, countries should maintain between 200 and 400 police officers for every 100,000 citizens, stressing that Nigeria is nowhere near that benchmark.

Ndume further criticized the centralized policing system, arguing that placing the entire police structure under one Inspector-General of Police controlled from the centre has proven ineffective in addressing security concerns across the federation.

“A vast country like Nigeria, if you have centralized policing under one IGP controlled by the centre without decentralizing it, that will never be effective, and that is where we found ourselves,” he stated.

The senator maintained that there is nothing wrong with adopting a decentralized policing structure, where state police formations would operate under the authority of state governors, who are constitutionally recognized as the chief security officers of their respective states.

The passage of the state police bill by the Senate marks a significant milestone in the ongoing debate over policing reforms, with supporters arguing that it will improve local security response and strengthen efforts to combat crime and insurgency across the country.