Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has cautioned that the proposed establishment of state police across Nigeria could pose serious risks to public safety if it is not backed by a sustainable and dedicated funding framework.
Speaking on Wednesday during the National Security Roundtable held as part of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, Abbas stressed that the success of state policing would depend not only on constitutional backing but also on the government’s commitment to ensuring adequate and consistent financing.
Nigeria has, in recent years, intensified discussions on creating state police as part of broader efforts to tackle worsening insecurity, including banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other violent crimes that have overwhelmed the country’s centralised policing system.
However, Abbas warned that establishing state police without guaranteed financial support could create unintended consequences, arguing that poorly remunerated officers may become vulnerable to corruption, abuse of power and criminal influence.
He said a dedicated funding mechanism should be entrenched to guarantee the regular payment of salaries, operational costs, training and welfare of personnel, noting that officers who are not adequately catered for could ultimately become a liability rather than an asset to the communities they are meant to protect.
The Speaker maintained that security reforms must go beyond the creation of new institutions, insisting that accountability, professionalism and financial sustainability should remain at the heart of any state policing framework.
His remarks come as debates continue among policymakers, security experts and civil society groups over the proposed decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing structure, with supporters arguing that state police would enhance intelligence gathering and rapid response to local security threats, while critics fear political interference and potential abuse by state governments.
The National Assembly is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the legal and constitutional framework that will determine the structure, oversight and funding of state police as deliberations on the proposal gather momentum.
