Donald Duke Advocates for Local Police to Enhance Security

Donald Duke, the former governor of Cross River State and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), has called for the establishment of state and local government police in Nigeria. He argues that the country's centralized security system is inadequate for addressing issues such as terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.

Duke emphasizes the importance of localizing policing, stating that effective security relies on community intelligence rather than merely deploying armed personnel after crimes occur. He criticized Nigeria's failure to update its security architecture since the end of the Civil War in 1970 and proposed that state and local government police should be implemented with strengthened judicial oversight to prevent abuse.

Duke dismissed concerns about potential political misuse of state police, noting that federal police have also faced similar allegations. He stressed that intelligence gathering should be the primary focus of decentralized police formations, as local residents are better positioned to identify threats.

Duke lamented the lack of adequate intelligence on Boko Haram after nearly 20 years of insurgency.