The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has strongly opposed the proposed creation of state police, describing it as a “misplaced priority” and a “waste of time” for the federal government.
In a statement signed by its National President, Isah Abubakar, the group said state police would only duplicate the roles of existing security agencies and fail to solve Nigeria’s core security challenges.
According to the NYCN, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies are already struggling with several problems, including poor funding, shortage of manpower, lack of modern equipment, inadequate welfare packages for personnel, and corruption. The group argued that instead of creating new state-controlled forces, the federal government should focus on improving the existing police by recruiting more officers from every state and ensuring they are well-trained, well-equipped, and properly paid.
The Council also expressed worry that state police would likely fall under the control of politicians, who could misuse them to intimidate opponents and violate citizens’ rights. “Nigerian politicians are not yet mature enough to handle such a system responsibly,” the group said.
As an alternative, the NYCN called on the federal government to set up a committee to overhaul and expand the Nigeria Police Force. They argued that a country with over 200 million people should have at least 5 million police officers, compared to the current figure of less than 300,000.
