Uncertainty surges as push for regional law enforcement gains momentum

Nigeria's journey toward decentralised police has received a significant boost with the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, inaugurating a committee on State Police, a move that comes on the heels of the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill currently in the works at the National Assembly.

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This bill proposes a sweeping reconfiguration of Nigeria's security architecture, aiming to address the country's escalating insecurity through the creation of state police services with legal backing under state laws.

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Meanwhile, Nigeria has witnessed a surge in violent attacks over the past two weeks, with insurgents, armed gangs, and local militias striking with growing audacity across the country, leaving communities on edge and exposing gaps in security.

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In one disturbing incident, terrorists believed to be members of Boko Haram and Islamic State for West Africa Province attacked Ngoshe in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, boasting of their intention to perform forthcoming Eid-el-Fitr prayers in the community and declaring it part of their caliphate.

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A video circulating on social media showed five armed men, all carrying AK-47 rifles, acknowledging the beheading of men and women and stating that about 300 abducted residents were to be converted into slaves, with the group's spokesperson identifying their leader as Imam Abu Grema.

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The attack resulted in the killing of several civilians, including the Chief Imam of Ngoshe, and the destruction of both civilian property and military equipment, with the assailants also claiming to have killed scores of soldiers.

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In separate attacks, dozens reportedly died in Benue, Niger, and Kogi States, while a monarch in Ebonyi State was kidnapped on his way to church amidst brutal killings in a communal clash, and a former local government Chairman was shot dead in Benue.

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Disu, while inaugurating the State Police committee, outlined the committee's responsibilities, including reviewing existing policing models, assessing community security needs, identifying potential risks, and proposing an operational structure for the establishment and coordination of State Police systems.

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The committee, which has four weeks to submit its report, is chaired by Prof Olu Ogunsakin and includes members such as CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, CP Bode Ojajuni, DCP Okebuchi Ogora, ACP Ikechukwu Okafor, and CSP Tolulope Ipinmisho.

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The attacks of the past fortnight have not only claimed dozens of lives but also disrupted daily life, commerce, and local governance, with residents now living under the shadow of violence and authorities grappling with the challenge of restoring safety in regions increasingly besieged by lawlessness.

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On the night of February 23, 2026, militants believed to be members of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province stormed Ngoshe community, abducting over 300 villagers, including women and children, and killing several civilians, including the Chief Imam of Ngoshe.

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The group vowed to remain in Ngoshe and perform Eid-el-Fitr prayers in the community, declaring it part of their caliphate, and later launched coordinated assaults on nearby military positions, reportedly killing 14 soldiers in intense overnight fighting.

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In the early hours of February 26, 2026, residents of Geidam town in Yobe State were terrorized when gunmen entered the local market, firing sporadically into the air and setting fire to several stalls, destroying goods worth millions of naira.

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In Niger State, several villages came under attack on February 27, 2026, when armed men on motorcycles rode through rural communities, opening fire on residents, killing at least 15 people, and looting shops and homes before disappearing into surrounding forests.

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On February 28, 2026, travelers along major highways in Kogi State were ambushed by gunmen, who abducted 13 people and killed two, according to local sources, sparking anxiety among traders and commuters who now fear traveling along key roads connecting North Central to the South.

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In the South-East, a long-standing land dispute erupted violently between Amasiri and Okporojo, leaving several residents dead in what authorities described as brutal killings linked to boundary disagreements.

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Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru ordered the destruction of all shrines and deities in Amasiri clan, mandating community members to identify their locations to the government and security agencies, and constituted a 19-member committee to carry out proper demarcation of the disputed boundary.

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The traditional ruler of Ndufu-Alike in Ikwo Local Government Area, Ezeogo Francis Igwe, was kidnapped on March 1, 2026, while traveling to church, with masked gunmen blocking his vehicle and abducting him on a motorcycle, demanding N250 million ransom before killing him during negotiation.

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Police operatives engaged the kidnappers, neutralized one gunman, and arrested nine others, recovering a locally made pistol, and the body of the monarch was later recovered and deposited for autopsy.

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In Otukpo, former Otukpo LGA Chairman, Udeh Ijachi, was shot dead on February 29, 2026, near a hotel, with gunmen on motorcycles allegedly tracking him and shooting him at close range, in an attack described as well-planned and brazen.

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Suspected armed herdsmen attacked Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, killing about 20 people, with many others remaining missing, and community members searching nearby bushes and destroyed houses for missing persons.

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The wave of attacks has drawn attention from abroad, with US Congressman, Riley M. Moore, raising concerns over reported attacks on Christians in Nigeria, highlighting incidents such as the burning of St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral in Wukari, Taraba State, on March 4, 2026.

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Moore emphasized that the United States will not watch as Christians continue to face targeted violence and persecution, calling on Abuja to step up security measures to prevent further attacks, and stating that the matter had been raised in a report submitted to the White House.

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Despite intensified military and police operations, many communities remain vulnerable due to porous borders, limited security presence, and difficult terrain, with analysts believing that the decisions of the Disu committee will be injected into the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill.

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The bill provides for states to create and operate their own State Police Services with legal backing under state laws, while the Nigeria Police Force will continue as a Federal Police Service handling national and interstate crimes.

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The bill also provides for safeguard provisions to address fears of political manipulation of State Police, intervention by governors, and human rights abuse, including the possibility of the Federal Government suspending or taking over a state police command if there is evidence of human rights abuses.

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The State Police Constitution Alteration Bill is among the 44 harmonised bills now ready for consideration and voting by the two chambers of the National Assembly, with many analysts optimistic that it will become law given President Bola Tinubu and many state governors' disposition to the creation of State Police amid insecurity tensions in the country.

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The bill seeks to amend Section 214(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits the establishment of any other police force besides the NPF, and proposes that states may create and operate their own State Police Services with legal backing under state laws.

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The proposed amendment would end the long-held constitutional monopoly of the federal police and create a dual policing structure similar to other federal systems, with clear jurisdictional separation between federal and state police responsibilities.