By Amos Aar
The debate over the creation of state police has once again taken centre stage in Nigeria’s search for solutions to worsening insecurity. Across the country, communities continue to grapple with banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, communal conflicts and farmer-herder violence.
In states such as Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Katsina and Niger, residents have been questioning whether a centrally controlled police structure can adequately respond to security threats spread across vast rural communities.
Supporters of state police, including a retired police officer, Inspector James Iorgyer, argue that the reform is long overdue. They believe governors, being the chief security officers of their states, should have greater control over policing arrangements to enable faster response, stronger intelligence gathering and security strategies tailored to local realities.
However, beneath the political enthusiasm surrounding the proposal lies a fundamental question: can states that are still struggling with financial obligations build and sustain a professional police force capable of earning public confidence?
The question borders on capacity, sustainability and whether Nigeria is creating a lasting security solution or transferring existing governance challenges into a new structure.
The removal of fuel subsidy was presented as a major economic reform expected to free resources, increase government revenues and strengthen the ability of governments at all levels to meet their responsibilities.
While federal and state revenues have increased in recent years, the financial realities of many states remain challenging. A number of states continue to battle pension and gratuity obligations, accumulated debts and limited internally generated revenue.
According to BudgIT’s 2025 State of States analysis, many states still carry significant outstanding liabilities, with pension and gratuity arrears running into hundreds of billions of naira nationally.
The report showed that 27 states recorded unpaid pension and gratuity obligations, reflecting continuing pressure on sub-national finances despite improved revenue inflows.
This raises concerns about whether states with weak revenue bases can shoulder the additional responsibility of running a police institution that requires consistent funding.
Running a police organisation goes far beyond recruiting officers and providing uniforms. It requires regular salaries, insurance, healthcare, pensions, vehicles, communication equipment, forensic facilities, training programmes, barracks and continuous welfare support.
Unlike many other public servants, police officers operate in high-risk environments. They confront criminals, respond to emergencies and work under intense pressure.
A Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Abuja who preferred anonymity while chatting with our reporter emphasised that “poor welfare can affect morale, discipline and professionalism within security institutions”.
Therefore, if some states struggle to meet existing obligations to workers and retirees, questions naturally arise about their ability to finance a new security structure over decades.
When this reporter also sought the opinion of a security expert and police officer, Mr Awua Michael Terkura, on the possible consequences of delayed welfare for state police officers, he referred to an academic study he co-authored titled “Perceived Stereotyped Attitudes Towards Members of the Nigeria Police Force in Makurdi, Benue State,” published in the Arts and Social Sciences Research Journal of the Nigerian Defence Academy in 2022.
Although the study did not focus directly on state police, its findings provide important lessons for the ongoing debate.
The researchers argued that public confidence in policing cannot be achieved through structural reforms alone. They recommended improved welfare, better training, professionalism, accountability, stronger police-community relations and effective sanctions against misconduct.
The implication is that decentralising policing without fixing underlying institutional weaknesses may only spread existing problems across more centres of authority.
Nigeria’s history shows that security institutions perform better when personnel feel valued and adequately supported. A police officer who is properly equipped, fairly treated and confident about his or her welfare is more likely to demonstrate professionalism and resist pressures that can undermine public trust.
Conversely, weak welfare systems can create frustration, reduce morale and damage the relationship between security personnel and the communities they are expected to protect.
This is why the state police debate must move beyond recruitment and constitutional amendments. Those issues are important, but they represent only the beginning.
The more difficult questions concern funding, accountability, political interference, training standards, operational independence and oversight mechanisms.
There is also the danger of creating a system where policing standards vary widely from one state to another. Nigeria’s economic reality means some states have stronger revenue bases, while others depend heavily on federal allocations.
Without clear national minimum standards, some states may operate well-funded professional police services, while others may struggle to provide basic equipment and welfare for personnel.
Countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and India operate decentralised policing systems, but those structures are supported by established institutions, professional standards, legal safeguards and relatively stable funding mechanisms.
Nigeria’s challenge is that decentralisation is taking place within an economy where many sub-national governments are still working to strengthen their financial independence.
Apart from funding, security is also about trust. Communities are more willing to share intelligence with officers they consider fair, disciplined and accountable. The effectiveness of any police system depends not only on the number of officers deployed but also on the confidence citizens have in those officers.
The lessons from existing research on police perception show that professionalism and public trust are built through consistent investment in institutions, personnel and accountability.
The creation of state police could become a major turning point in Nigeria’s security architecture. However, its success will depend on whether governments can guarantee sustainable financing, protect recruitment from political manipulation, maintain professional standards and build institutions that citizens trust.
The real question is therefore not simply whether Nigeria should have state police. The deeper question is whether every state has the financial strength, institutional discipline and commitment required to build a police system that officers can proudly serve in and citizens can confidently rely upon.
