Northern Youth Council Rejects State Police Proposal

The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has strongly opposed the proposed creation of state police, calling it a misplaced priority that could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges.

In a statement issued by Isah Abubakar, NYCN’s National President, the group described the idea as a “waste of time”, arguing that it would duplicate existing security agencies without solving the underlying problems.

According to the council, Nigeria’s current security agencies already suffer from:

• Persistent underfunding

• Severe shortages of personnel

• Inadequate equipment and logistics

• Poor welfare conditions for officers

• Widespread corruption allegations

The group believes that instead of creating parallel agencies, the federal government should:

• Recruit and train more officers into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)

• Provide adequate welfare and allowances for personnel

• Reform and strengthen the existing police structure

NYCN expressed concern that state-controlled police could be exploited by politicians to suppress dissent and violate citizens’ rights.

“Nigerian politicians are still too immature to manage a security system free from federal oversight without abusing their power,” the statement warned.

The council urged the federal government to set up a committee to restructure and expand the Nigeria Police Force.

Key recommendations include:

• Growing the force to at least 5 million officers (compared to the current <300,000 for over 200 million Nigerians)

• Comprehensive reforms to improve efficiency, accountability, and capacity

The state police debate has divided opinion in Nigeria, with some seeing it as a way to bring security closer to the people, while critics like NYCN warn it could deepen corruption, political interference, and abuse of power.