The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria has rejected President Tinubu’s proposed creation of state police, warning it would be abused and urging instead a massive overhaul of the federal police.
The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has rejected the Federal Government’s plan to establish state police, describing it as a “misplaced priority” that risks worsening insecurity.
In a statement on Thursday, NYCN President, Isah Abubakar, said the proposal ignores deeper issues such as poor funding, staff shortages, weak welfare packages, obsolete logistics, and corruption within existing security agencies. “It is a misplaced priority. Creating state police is simply a waste of time. What we need is a commitment to fix and strengthen the current system,” Abubakar stressed.
He warned that state-controlled forces could be weaponised by politicians. “Nigerian politicians are not yet mature enough to handle a security structure without federal oversight,” he said.
Instead, Abubakar urged the government to expand and reform the Nigeria Police Force, noting that fewer than 300,000 officers serve over 200 million citizens. He proposed increasing the number to five million.
President Bola Tinubu recently disclosed that plans for state police were underway.