Insecurity in Nigeria and Hard Lessons from Benue State: The Imperative of State Policing
Working Paper
Rising insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in states like Benue, has exposed the limitations of the centralized policing system. Frequent clashes between herders and farmers, banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence continue to overwhelm federal security agencies. This policy brief advocates for the establishment of state police as a necessary reform to enhance local security architecture. Drawing lessons from Benue’s persistent insecurity, it proposes legislative and institutional reforms to implement a state policing framework that is community-oriented, and constitutionally backed. To address the persistent insecurity in Nigeria and enhance the responsiveness of law enforcement to local realities—particularly in conflict-prone states like Benue—the following actions are recommended: The National Assembly (NASS) may wish to amend Sections 214 and 215 of the 1999 Constitution to move policing from the Exclusive to the Concurrent Legislative List. This will enable states like Benue to create and regulate their own police forces based on local security needs. NASS may also wish to amend the Constitution to allow for the creation of state police service commissions and policy framework to guide the structure, training, and human rights compliance of state police forces. Constitutional amendment is also needed to provide for State legislatures’ oversight bodies to monitor state police operations, investigate complaints, etc..