Kebbi school abduction reignites calls for state and community policing
Kebbi School Abduction: State and Community Police Is the Solution to Nigeria’s Internal Security Challenges
One of the saddest things about Nigeria is that when terrorists strike, we attack the government rather than the terrorists. The abduction of twenty-five girls from… pic.twitter.com/nVWG8j8QlT
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) November 17, 2025
Kebbi School Abduction: State and Community Police Is the Solution to Nigeria’s Internal Security Challenges
One of the saddest things about Nigeria is that when terrorists strike, we attack the government rather than the terrorists. The abduction of twenty-five girls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, and the killing of their vice principal is condemnable.
My condolences to the family of the departed and my heartfelt prayers to the parents of the missing girls.
The government should do everything possible to rescue the pupils and apprehend, then prosecute, the perpetrators of the murder and kidnapping.
But beyond identifying the problem and reacting to it, we must provide solutions.
Even though these abductions have significantly reduced from what occurred in the last administration, where 881 schoolchildren were abducted between May 29, 2015, and May 29, 2023, it is obvious that our military and security forces are overstretched. They are doing their best and should be encouraged.
However, a total of less than half a million soldiers and police officers for a population of 235 million and a landmass of almost a million square kilometres is inadequate. We need to deepen security.
The time for State and Community Police has come. We must make policing as local as possible. In light of our security challenges, one centrally controlled police force with a command structure in Abuja may no longer be sufficient to address Nigeria’s security issues.
If the Kebbi State Government had its own police force, for example, there is a strong possibility that this incident would not have occurred.
Much progress has been made under the Tinubu administration. However, to drastically improve security in Nigeria, I urge the President to take the initiative and push for the establishment of State Police. He can achieve it. He has the political skill and will to instil this. Now is the time.
Mr President, you have already increased federal allocation to states by at least 100%. They are now in a position to afford it. Let them pull their weight. Sir, please give Nigeria State and Community Police.
Reno Omokri
Gospeller. Deep Thinker. #TableShaker. Ruffler of the Feathers of Obidents. #1 Bestselling author of Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years. Hodophile. Hollywood Magazine Humanitarian of the Year, 2019. Business Insider Influencer of the Year 2022. 21st Most Talked About Person in Africa, 2024.