Insecurity escalates as push for state police gains momentum

Nigeria’s move toward the establishment of state police received renewed attention on Wednesday after the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Olatunji Egbetokun, inaugurated a committee to examine the proposed framework.

 

The move comes amid ongoing deliberations at the National Assembly on the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, which seeks to significantly restructure Nigeria’s security architecture by allowing subnational governments to establish their own police forces.

 

The development also comes against the backdrop of rising insecurity across several parts of the country, with a surge in violent attacks reported in recent weeks.

 

Communities across the North-East, North-West and South-East have witnessed incidents involving insurgents, armed gangs and militias, including mass abductions, assassinations, highway ambushes and communal clashes.

 

Security analysts say the wave of attacks has intensified concerns over the country’s security gaps and strengthened calls for more decentralised policing and coordinated security responses.

 

In one of the most disturbing incidents, terrorists suspected to be members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

 

Following the attack, the insurgents reportedly released a video threatening to conduct Eid-el-Fitr prayers in the community, which they claimed had become part of their so-called caliphate.

 

In the footage, five armed men carrying AK-47 rifles allegedly boasted about beheading men and women and claimed that about 300 abducted residents would be enslaved

Reports indicate that several civilians, including the Chief Imam of Ngoshe, were killed during the attack, while properties and some military equipment were also destroyed.

The latest developments have further intensified debate over whether state policing could provide a more effective response to Nigeria’s complex security challenges.