CSOs Stress Need for Reforms Beyond State Policing

During a webinar organized by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) titled “Insecurity and State Policing in Nigeria: The Way Forward,” civil society organizations (CSOs) emphasized that state policing alone will not resolve Nigeria's security issues. Participants, including Okechukwu Nwanguma from the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and Dr Glory Ukwenga from the Africana League, argued that while decentralizing policing could enhance grassroots security responses, it must be coupled with reforms in governance, justice, accountability, and youth inclusion.

Nwanguma highlighted that insecurity stems from governance failures, poverty, unemployment, and other structural issues, stating that police cannot eliminate these conditions. He called for national standards for police recruitment and training, operational independence, and civilian oversight.

Ukwenga stressed the importance of including youth in the policing framework, advocating for their representation in police service commissions. Akinbode Oluwafemi of CAPPA urged that any reforms should strengthen democracy and public trust rather than merely creating more police forces.