The Northern Youth Assembly has described the National Assembly’s passage of the constitutional amendment bill seeking the establishment of state police as a landmark step towards addressing Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
The group said the development marked a turning point in the country’s security architecture and offered renewed hope to communities that have endured years of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and communal violence.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Secretary-General of the assembly, Abdulhafiz Garba, said the overwhelming support of lawmakers for the proposal reflected a growing national consensus on the need for decentralised and community-oriented policing.
According to him, the endorsement of the bill by 289 lawmakers, with only four voting against it, underscored the urgency of adopting innovative and locally driven solutions to tackle insecurity across the country.
Garba noted that Northern communities had borne a disproportionate burden of insecurity over the years, with criminal activities disrupting livelihoods, agricultural production, trade and social stability.
He said, “As an organisation representing millions of Northern youths, we firmly believe that the establishment of state police is one of the most significant security reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999.”
The NYA stated that while officers of the Nigeria Police Force had continued to make sacrifices in the line of duty, the current centralised policing framework had struggled to cope with Nigeria’s vast territory, growing population and diverse security threats.
It argued that state police would complement federal security efforts by bringing law enforcement closer to the people and improving responsiveness to local challenges.
The group identified enhanced intelligence gathering as one of the major benefits of the proposed reform, noting that security personnel recruited from local communities would possess a better understanding of the language, culture, terrain and social dynamics of their areas of operation.
It added that state-controlled police formations would be able to respond more swiftly to emergencies without waiting for directives from distant command structures.
The assembly further said the initiative would create employment opportunities for thousands of Northern youths through recruitment into state police services, thereby reducing unemployment and promoting productive engagement among young people.
It maintained that improved security would boost investor confidence, revive rural economies, increase agricultural productivity and facilitate the safe movement of people and goods across the region.
Drawing comparisons with countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany, the NYA said decentralised policing had proven effective in strengthening accountability and improving security outcomes without undermining national unity.
It described the passage of the State Police Bill as more than a legislative victory, saying it represented a bold response to the realities of modern security challenges confronting the country.
“The Northern Youth Assembly stands firmly in support of this historic security reform and remains committed to advocating policies that promote peace, security, development and national unity,” the statement added.
