RismadarVoice Reporters
June 25, 2026
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Monday Ubani, has cautioned that the recently passed State Police Bill could fall short of its goals unless Nigeria takes steps to strengthen its local government system and put in place strong measures to prevent abuse.
Ubani made the remarks in reaction to the Senate’s passage of the State Police Bill, following its earlier approval by the House of Representatives.
He described the legislation as a landmark development in Nigeria’s constitutional and security history, noting that it represents a notable move toward a more federal and community-based approach to security.
“The passage of the State Police Bill represents a major milestone in Nigeria’s quest to create a more responsive, efficient and community-oriented security framework,” he said.
He pointed out that escalating insecurity nationwide including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts and armed robbery has revealed the shortcomings of Nigeria’s centralised policing model. He added that security experts, constitutional scholars, traditional rulers and civil society organisations have for years called for policing structures positioned closer to the people and more responsive to local security needs.
Despite welcoming the reform, Ubani warned against overlooking the risk that state governors could misuse the new police structures.
“Critics have consistently warned that State Police could be transformed into instruments of political intimidation, electoral manipulation, suppression of dissent and harassment of opposition figures,” he said.
While acknowledging that the law reportedly includes provisions to guard against abuse, he stressed that its effectiveness would ultimately hinge on how well it is implemented.
“The true measure of the reform will not lie in the text of the law alone but in the strength of the institutions established to enforce it,” he stated.
Ubani further argued that decisions around recruitment, promotion, discipline and operational control within state police formations must be shielded from political interference, and that oversight institutions must operate independently and effectively.
He identified weak local government structures as the most significant obstacle to the success of the proposed state policing system, explaining that security tends to be most effective when anchored in community-based intelligence gathering, crime prevention and conflict resolution.
“The local government is constitutionally designed to be the closest tier of government to the people and should ordinarily serve as the foundation upon which community security structures are built,” he said.
He noted that many local governments currently lack the autonomy, funding and institutional strength needed to meaningfully support security efforts at the grassroots level.
“The mere transfer of policing powers from the Federal Government to State Governments does not automatically translate into effective grassroots security,” he warned.
Ubani proposed a three-tier security model in which the Federal Government oversees national security and crimes that cross state lines, state governments coordinate local law enforcement, and local governments act as centres for community policing, intelligence gathering and conflict prevention.
He called on policymakers to prioritise strengthening local government autonomy, improving transparency, enforcing professional recruitment standards, and setting up effective oversight systems.
“The task before Nigeria is not merely to celebrate the birth of State Police, but to ensure that it evolves into a professional, accountable, community-driven institution capable of enhancing security without undermining democratic freedoms,” he said.
He added that without solid institutions and grassroots structures in place, Nigeria risks merely shifting its existing security challenges to a different level of government rather than actually resolving them.
