₦airaland Forum

A pan-Igbo socio-political organisation, the Ndi Igbo Worldwide Union, on Sunday rejected the ongoing proposal to establish state police in Nigeria.

The group urged the Federal Government to instead restore a regional policing structure similar to the system that existed before the 1966 Nigerian military coup.

In a statement signed by its President, Mazi Ben Nwankwo, and Secretary, Chief Charles Edemuzo Saturday, the group argued that regional policing remains the most effective way to tackle Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence.

The union said many Nigerians have lost confidence in the current centralized security system and warned that creating state police forces would not solve the underlying problems.

According to the statement, “State police is not the answer. Regional police, modeled on the successful architecture of 1955–1966, is the minimum requirement for meaningful reform.”

The call comes amid renewed national debate about decentralising policing in Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu has urged constitutional amendments to allow state police as part of broader efforts to address insecurity across the country.

Supporters of state policing argue that decentralising security operations would enable faster responses to local threats. Nigeria currently operates a centralized police structure controlled by the federal government.

However, the Ndi Igbo Worldwide Union believes the state police proposal could create new political and governance problems.

According to the group, Nigeria once experienced its most stable and prosperous period under the regional system that existed between the mid-1950s and 1966, when the Northern, Western, and Eastern Regions enjoyed significant autonomy, including their own police forces.

The union argued that policing worked more effectively during that period because officers were drawn from local communities and had deep knowledge of the language, culture, and geography of the areas they served.

“Nigeria’s most progressive and peaceful era occurred between 1955 and 1966 when the regions operated their own police forces. Indigenous officers policed familiar terrain, spoke local languages and understood community dynamics. This fostered trust and improved security,” the statement added.

The group blamed Nigeria’s current security difficulties partly on the centralized policing structure introduced after the military takeover in 1966.

According to the union, the system often places officers in communities where they lack cultural familiarity and community relationships, which can undermine trust and effectiveness.

The organisation argued that sending officers from distant regions to command policing operations elsewhere could create mistrust between communities and security agencies.

“The centralization imposed after 1966 dismantled an effective system and replaced it with a distant national force often commanded by officers unfamiliar with the regions they serve.

“Regional police would empower officers indigenous to their geopolitical zones and provide built-in checks against any single governor weaponising the police,” the union said.

The group suggested that the six geopolitical zones—North West, North East, North Central, South East, South West and South-South—could each operate regional police commands.

Beyond the policing debate, the organisation also warned that Nigeria must undertake deeper structural reforms to maintain unity and stability.

It argued that restoring regional autonomy in governance and security would not only improve national stability but also revive healthy competition among the regions.
“The time for cosmetic fixes is over. Nigeria must return to the regions—or risk losing the federation altogether,” the union warned.

The group therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to prioritise constitutional amendments that would enable the establishment of regional policing structures rather than state-level police forces.

It added that failure to restore genuine regional autonomy in security and governance could push aggrieved groups toward demands for self-determination.

State and local government police is the best. If you say people should police their own communities then why are you against state and local government police? Many regions don't even have people speaking the same language and are therefore not the same cultural community. There is a need to stop playing politics with security. The position of this group is not credible. I hear it is the same position of IPOB

State police will create more problems than it aims to solve in the long run

lawani:
State and local government police is the best. If you say people should police their own communities then why are you against state and local government police? Many regions don't even have people speaking the same language and are therefore not the same cultural community. There is a need to stop playing politics with security. The position of this group is not credible. I hear it is the same position of IPOB

Having state police is progressive but knowing what we know about Nigerian politicians it will backfire seriously.
State police will become the governor’s own militia or form a wing of the ruling political party in the state.
Some things take maturing. You give a boy a real car, if he wants to drive something so badly let him have a toy car, in due time he will grow to have a car.
Leave awalokan politics behind and think

chigator2:
Having state police is progressive but knowing what we know about Nigerian politicians it will backfire seriously.
State police will become the governor’s own militia or form a wing of the ruling political party in the state.
Some things take maturing. You give a boy a real car, if he wants to drive something so badly let him have a toy car, in due time he will grow to have a car.
Leave awalokan politics behind and think

There is no backfiring that I can think of. A sitting President was not able to use the police to stop himself from being removed via the ballot box so there is nothing at all to fear. Not only state and local government police but all licensed security companies should be allowed to bear high caliber weapons. Any group not supporting this obviously have a sinister motive

lawani:
There is no backfiring that I can think of. A sitting President was not able to use the police to stop himself from being removed via the ballot box so there is nothing at all to fear. Not only state and local government police but all licensed security companies should be allowed to bear high caliber weapons. Any group not supporting this obviously have a sinister motive

I won’t explain further because it seems that certain sections of some people’s brains have gone on sabbatical leave till 2027 or possibly 2031. About support, regional policing is better than state police for the Nigerian context, aside compromise of neutrality, too many subdivisions create room for higher overhead costs and chaotic coordination of the entire policing network between all states.
Are you prepared for cases like “this man is wanted by police in X state or the EFCC but Y state’s police says they can’t locate / provide him meanwhile they are currently offering him security escort services” We all saw what Ododo did for Yahaya Bello so paint the remaining part of the picture

chigator2:
I won’t explain further because it seems that certain sections of some people’s brains have gone on sabbatical leave till 2027 or possibly 2031. About support, regional policing is better than state police for the Nigerian context, aside compromise of neutrality, too many subdivisions create room for higher overhead costs and chaotic coordination of the entire policing network between all states.
Are you prepared for cases like “this man is wanted by police in X state or the EFCC but Y state’s police says they can’t locate / provide him meanwhile they are currently offering him security escort services” We all saw what Ododo did for Yahaya Bello so paint the remaining part of the picture

I am an Ijesa man, a nation established by Owa Obokun onida arara a prominent son of Oduduwa. We have been protecting our territory for over a thousand years and your views expressed on this platform will not make me accept that we are incapable of policing ourselves. We have done more than that

They are right. Regional is better than state police.

chigator2:
Having state police is progressive but knowing what we know about Nigerian politicians it will backfire seriously.
State police will become the governor’s own militia or form a wing of the ruling political party in the state.
Some things take maturing. You give a boy a real car, if he wants to drive something so badly let him have a toy car, in due time he will grow to have a car.
Leave awalokan politics behind and think

State police is better for now. If your governor or politicians decided to turn the state police into a militia group against his own people or the opposition, it means you votes for an idiot to govern your state.

Regional police will have a bad effect on the Christian communities in the northern regions.

IPOB terrorists cannot tell Nigeria what's best for her. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already decided to establish state police.

chopnaira:
They are right. Regional is better than state police.

Under Nigeria’s current presidential system, there is no regional executive government to control a regional police.
With different political parties governing states within the same geopolitical zones, it would be unclear who commands or supervises such a force.
Therefore, regional policing would require major constitutional restructuring to create regional authorities.