President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s push toward establishing state police as a key reform to address security challenges nationwide, signalling a major shift in Nigeria’s security architecture.
The announcement came during a meeting yesterday at the State House in Abuja with prominent citizens from Katsina State, led by Governor Dikko Radda.
“The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable,” Tinubu said. “I have directed all the security agencies to energise further and look at the strategies.”
He disclosed plans to deploy advanced drones and surveillance tools, and confirmed that the creation of state police alongside the strengthening of forest guards was under review to reinforce grassroots security.
But the move faces resistance from the police hierarchy. Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has argued that Nigeria is not yet ripe for state-controlled policing.
At a recent national dialogue, he warned that governors could misuse such forces for political purposes, leading to human rights abuses, divided loyalties, and heightened ethnic tensions.
Instead, the IGP recommended reforms within the existing structure, including merging the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) into departments under the Police Force, alongside improved recruitment and funding.
The contrasting positions highlight a deepening national debate: while Tinubu and several governors see state police as essential for faster and more effective security responses, police leadership fears it could weaken institutional integrity and stability.
