Igbo Union Rejects State Police, Advocates Return to Pre‑1966 Regional Policing

Igbo

Igbo Union Rejects State Police, Advocates Return to Pre‑1966 Regional Policing

A major pan‑Igbo socio‑political organisation, the Ndi Igbo Worldwide Union, has formally rejected ongoing proposals to establish state police in Nigeria, insisting the country should instead restore a regional policing system similar to the one that operated before the 1966 military coup.

In a statement signed on Saturday by its President, Mazi Ben Nwankwo, and Secretary, Chief Charles Edemuzo, the union argued that regional policing remains the most effective way to tackle Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping and communal violence. “State police is not the answer. Regional police, modeled on the successful architecture of 1955–1966, is the minimum requirement for meaningful reform,” the group said. The union highlighted Nigeria’s relatively stable period when regions maintained their own police forces and officers drawn from local communities, fostering trust and better understanding of local languages and cultures.

The union said many Nigerians have lost confidence in the current centralized policing system and warned that establishing state police in its present form would not address underlying problems. Instead, the group suggested that policing should be organised along regional lines, with each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones — North West, North East, North Central, South East, South West and South‑South — operating regional police commands. “Nigeria’s most progressive and peaceful era occurred between 1955 and 1966 when the regions operated their own police forces,” the statement said. “Indigenous officers policed familiar terrain, spoke local languages, and understood community dynamics. This fostered trust and improved security.”

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The union argued that centralization introduced after the 1966 military takeover dismantled that effective system and replaced it with a distant national force often unfamiliar with the communities it serves, leading to mistrust and inefficiency. The group stressed that sending officers from distant regions to command policing operations could create tensions and reduce public trust in law enforcement.

The debate over state police has drawn varied reactions. President Bola Tinubu has been advocating for constitutional amendments to allow state police, describing the move as part of broader efforts to address security gaps nationwide. Supporters maintain that decentralising policing would enable faster, localised responses to threats and greater accountability to local communities. However, security experts have issued cautious views. Professor Johnson Ude, a criminologist at the University of Lagos, told reporters that while the idea of state police is attractive in principle, it must be carefully structured to avoid partisan misuse and ensure federal oversight. “Without strong legal safeguards and clear operational frameworks, state police could be weaponised by state executives, weakening national cohesion rather than strengthening security,” Prof. Ude said. Similarly, Dr. Aminu Waziri, a security analyst based in Abuja, noted that state policing must be paired with robust accountability mechanisms. “The key challenge is not just who controls the police, but how the force is trained, funded and integrated into a broader national security architecture,” Waziri said.

Some community leaders in the South‑East echoed the union’s concerns. Elder Chukwuemeka Okoroafor, chairman of a civil society group in Enugu, said state police alone won’t solve deep‑rooted security problems. “Security starts with community trust. If people believe law enforcement respects local norms and fairness, we build partnerships that enhance safety,” Okoroafor said. But others believe a combination of reforms may be necessary. Mrs. Nkechi Nwosu, a grassroots activist in Anambra, told journalists that while state police might be helpful, it must be backed by training, accountability and community policing initiatives, not just political decentralisation.

Beyond policing, the Ndi Igbo Worldwide Union warned that Nigeria must embark on deeper constitutional and structural reforms to preserve unity and stability. “The time for cosmetic fixes is over. Nigeria must return to the regions — or risk losing the federation altogether,” the union said, urging President Tinubu and the National Assembly to prioritise constitutional amendments that restore regional autonomy in governance and security, not just create state police units. It added that failure to restore genuine regional autonomy could leave self‑determination as the only remaining option for peoples who can no longer endure systemic failure.