From: Femi Mustapha in Kaduna
Security experts and traditional rulers have called for the decentralization of policing in Nigeria, arguing that a community-driven model will improve intelligence gathering and crime response if backed by strong accountability structures.
The call was made at the conclusion of a pre-Town Hall Webinar on Security and State Policing Reform organized by the Palace of the Ovie of Oghara Kingdom in partnership with the Oghara Study Group.
The virtual session, themed *“From Community Crisis to National Reform: Rethinking State Policing through the Oghara Experience,” was moderated by Rev. David Ugolor, co-convener of the Oghara Study Group.
It brought together security experts, policy analysts, former Delta State Governor Chief James Ibori, civil society leaders, traditional institutions, and community stakeholders to assess Nigeria’s security challenges using Oghara Kingdom’s experience as a case study.
Declaring the webinar open, His Royal Majesty Noble Oyibo Eshemitan, Uku Oghara Na’me, Orefe III, Ovie of Oghara Kingdom, said the deteriorating security situation requires collective action and structured community participation.
He affirmed the Palace’s support for decentralized policing and noted that the webinar’s resolutions would be developed into an Oghara position paper for the national debate on police reform.
Discussions focused on kidnapping, unemployment, drug abuse, insecurity in farms and rural communities, poor police–community relations, and the structural weaknesses of Nigeria’s centralized policing system.
Participants agreed that decentralized or state policing could strengthen local intelligence, reduce response times, and address crimes specific to communities.
However, they warned that without safeguards, it could reproduce the same problems of political interference, abuse of power, and human rights violations currently associated with the Nigeria Police Force.
To prevent that, speakers proposed specific safeguards. Dr. Sonia Warner advocated for independent oversight, citizen-centered policing, and trust-building through consultation and public perception surveys.
Okechukwu Nwanguma pushed for constitutional safeguards to ensure neutrality and respect for human rights, an independent complaints mechanism, and direct community involvement in drafting and monitoring reforms.
Dr. Uche Igwe urged that any new framework must correct the failures of the current system, reflect local realities, and clearly define the roles of civil society and traditional institutions.
Olumayowa Olaniyi stressed the need to center public legitimacy in policing, provide continuous and rights-based training, and create a transparent and sustainable funding model.
Collectively, the webinar recommended clear constitutional roles for federal and state police services, merit-based recruitment, improved welfare for personnel, responsible firearms control, transparent budgeting, and effective judicial remedies for victims of misconduct.
For Oghara Kingdom, participants specifically demanded urgent action against kidnapping, stronger community intelligence networks, improved protection for farmers, sustained collaboration with security agencies, and long-term investment in youth employment as a preventive measure against crime.
The organizers said the outcomes will inform the upcoming Oghara Town Hall Meeting and contribute to the national conversation on building an effective, accountable, and citizen-trusted policing system.
