The Omo Oduduwa Collective has endorsed ongoing efforts to establish State Police in Nigeria, describing the proposed legislation as a historic opportunity to strengthen the country’s federal system and improve internal security.
However, the group has warned that provisions allowing presidential intervention in state police operations could undermine the very federal principles the reform seeks to achieve.
In a statement signed by its Convener, Professor Akinyemi Onigbinde, Honorary Secretary, Kazeem Olasupo, and Group Administrator, Dr. Adeolu Oyekan, on July 13, 2026, the group commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for advancing the long-standing demand for State Police from advocacy circles to the National Assembly.
According to the group, the proposed State Police Bill, recently passed by the National Assembly, represents the most significant attempt to reform Nigeria’s security architecture since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
The Omo Oduduwa Collective argued that Nigeria’s federal system is fundamentally at odds with its highly centralised policing structure, noting that the Nigeria Police Force remains overstretched, with an estimated ratio of one police officer to about 600 citizens, below the United Nations’ recommended ratio of one officer to 450 people.
It maintained that policing should reflect local realities, stressing that security challenges such as kidnapping, cult violence and urban crime require responses tailored to the unique circumstances of each state.
The group also noted that although state governors are designated as Chief Security Officers of their states, they have no operational authority over police formations within their jurisdictions, a situation it described as inconsistent with global federal practices.
Despite its support for State Police, the organisation expressed concern over Section 214(10) of the proposed legislation, which empowers the President and the Inspector-General of Police to assume control of state police under certain circumstances.
According to the group, while the provision is intended to prevent abuse by state governments, the grounds for federal intervention—including national security threats, human rights violations, electoral intimidation and ethnic persecution—are broadly defined and could be open to subjective interpretation.
It warned that future administrations could exploit the provision to interfere in state policing during elections, protests or political disputes, thereby weakening state autonomy.
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The group recalled that an earlier draft of the State Police Bill prepared by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in 2022 restricted federal intervention to clearly defined situations such as a complete breakdown of law and order, requests for assistance by governors or the collapse of state police institutions.
It urged state Houses of Assembly, where the bill is expected to undergo further consideration, to review and amend the controversial clause before final approval.
The Omo Oduduwa Collective also criticised the bill for failing to address election security, warning that the omission could create constitutional and operational challenges.
It suggested that Nigeria could adopt a model similar to India’s, where election security is coordinated by the country’s electoral management body, with both federal and state security agencies operating under its authority during elections.
Beyond constitutional concerns, the group argued that Nigeria’s policing challenges extend beyond centralisation and include poor welfare, inadequate funding, weak accountability, insufficient training, poor leadership and widespread corruption.
It cautioned that creating 36 state police commands without addressing these structural deficiencies could simply replicate the shortcomings of the Nigeria Police Force across the states.
The organisation therefore called for mandatory reforms, including transparent recruitment processes, improved remuneration, continuous professional training, modern forensic facilities, deployment of body cameras and robust civilian oversight mechanisms.
The group further criticised the legislative process for excluding wider public participation, urging lawmakers to organise town hall meetings, civil society consultations, media engagements and stakeholder hearings involving traditional rulers, labour unions, youth groups and security experts.
According to the statement, broad public engagement would enhance the legitimacy of the proposed law and ensure that State Police serves the interests of citizens rather than political elites.
While reiterating its commendation of President Tinubu for initiating what it described as a landmark security reform, the Omo Oduduwa Collective maintained that the legislation must be refined to remove provisions capable of centralising authority, strengthen accountability mechanisms and guarantee genuine federal autonomy.
The group concluded that Nigeria does not need “37 copies of a centralised police force,” but rather a truly federal policing system in which states possess the authority, resources and responsibility to secure their citizens, while the Federal Government focuses on coordination and support.
