State police offers hope for North— Says northern youths

By Abubakar Yunusa

The Northern Youth Assembly has described the National Assembly’s passage of the State Police Bill as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s quest to address worsening insecurity, saying the reform offers renewed hope for the North.

The group said the constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police would strengthen intelligence gathering, improve emergency response and create employment opportunities for thousands of young people across the region.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Secretary-General of the NYA, Abdulhafiz Garba, said the overwhelming support for the bill by federal lawmakers reflected a growing national consensus on the need to decentralise policing and adopt community-based security measures.

According to him, the endorsement of the legislation by 289 lawmakers, with only four voting against it, demonstrated the country’s determination to reform its security architecture in response to emerging threats.

He noted that Northern communities had, for years, borne the brunt of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, terrorism and communal clashes, with devastating consequences for livelihoods and economic activities.

Garba said although officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force had continued to make sacrifices in the discharge of their duties, the centralised policing structure had struggled to cope with Nigeria’s vast territory, growing population and increasingly complex security challenges.

“The establishment of State Police is one of the most significant security reforms since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999,” he stated.

He argued that state-controlled police formations would complement federal security agencies by bringing law enforcement closer to the people and enabling faster responses to local threats.

The NYA Secretary-General further stated that local recruitment into state police services would enhance intelligence gathering because personnel drawn from their communities possessed a better understanding of the terrain, language and social dynamics necessary to identify criminal elements.

He added that the proposed system would also open employment opportunities for Northern youths, reduce unemployment and provide productive engagement capable of discouraging criminality.

Garba said improved security would encourage investment, boost agricultural productivity, revive rural economies and facilitate the safe movement of people and goods across the region.

He cited countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany as examples of democracies operating decentralised policing systems successfully without undermining national unity.

According to him, such models have strengthened accountability and improved security outcomes through effective collaboration between sub-national and federal authorities.

“The passage of the State Police Bill represents more than a legislative victory. It is a significant step towards building a safer, more peaceful and more secure Nigeria.

“For the North, it offers renewed hope for stronger community protection, improved intelligence gathering, youth employment, economic growth and sustainable peace,” he said.

The assembly reaffirmed its support for the proposed reform and pledged to continue advocating policies aimed at promoting peace, security, development and national unity across the country.