Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has criticised Nigeria’s centralised policing system, describing existing laws that place major police authorisation powers in Abuja as outdated and ineffective.
Kalu said the current structure has contributed to delayed responses to crime and insecurity, arguing that establishing state police would bring security operations closer to communities and improve the protection of lives and property.
Speaking at the ARISE NEWS Town Hall on State Police, the Deputy Speaker said security remains the primary responsibility of government and must remain a top priority.
“For every government, the protection of lives and property should always be the issue on the front burner. This government has chosen security as the first item on its agenda,” Kalu said.
The lawmaker argued that policing cannot be separated from governance, noting that the protection of citizens is one of the fundamental duties of government.
According to him, the police are a key part of the security structure required to achieve effective governance.
Kalu said Nigeria’s current policing framework has struggled because decision-making remains concentrated at the federal level, creating delays when urgent security interventions are needed.
“The obsolete laws that centralise authorisation points for policing have failed us over the years,” he said.
He added that government must regularly review its laws and security structures to determine whether they are meeting the expectations of Nigerians.
The Deputy Speaker explained that one of the major weaknesses of the current system is the distance between security decision-makers and communities facing threats.
He said that when authorisation for police action must come from Abuja, valuable time can be lost before officers respond.
“If the authorisation point is in Abuja and incidents are happening far from Abuja, by the time authorisation comes, the crime may already have been committed,” Kalu stated.
He argued that decentralising policing would allow security agencies to respond faster and operate more effectively.
Kalu also stressed the importance of community knowledge in fighting crime, saying officers familiar with local terrain, culture and languages are better positioned to address security challenges.
He noted that people living in forests, waterways and rural communities often understand their environments better and can contribute significantly to security efforts.
“Those who live in the forest understand the forest better and are better positioned to protect it,” he said.
According to him, a decentralised policing system would allow states to develop security structures that reflect their specific realities.
The Deputy Speaker highlighted Nigeria’s large population and geographical size as reasons why police reforms are necessary.
He said Nigeria covers about 923,768 square kilometres and has more than 220 million people, creating a significant challenge for the existing police structure.
Kalu referenced international recommendations on police-to-citizen ratios, saying Nigeria requires additional recruitment to strengthen law enforcement capacity.
READ MORE: Oshiomhole Says State Police Will Improve Security Accountability
He argued that allowing states to establish their own police services would increase manpower and improve security coverage nationwide.
Responding to fears that governors could misuse state police for political purposes, Kalu said lawmakers had considered such concerns and included safeguards in the proposed constitutional reforms.
He compared the situation to state judicial systems, arguing that the existence of state institutions does not automatically mean they will be abused.
“Many have argued that governors will abuse state police. I always ask them: we currently have state High Courts across the federation. How many governors have used those courts to jail members of the opposition simply because they disagree with them?” he said.
Kalu acknowledged that concerns over possible misuse are valid but insisted that proposed reforms contain mechanisms to prevent abuse.
He explained that moving policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List would come with legal protections guiding how state police operate.
Benjamin Kalu believes Nigeria’s security challenges require a major restructuring of the policing system, arguing that state police will improve response times, strengthen local security and make law enforcement more accountable.
The debate over state police continues to generate discussions across Nigeria, with lawmakers, security experts and stakeholders weighing the benefits and possible risks of decentralising police operations.
