Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani on Wednesday doubled down on his advocacy for state-level policing, declaring that Nigeria’s centralized security architecture is ill-equipped to tackle rising insecurity and calling for urgent constitutional amendments to empower states.
Speaking at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) during a lecture titled “The Role of State Governments in Overcoming Insecurity in Nigeria,” Sani argued that only a decentralized, flexible security system can deliver lasting peace.
“The Federal Government alone cannot secure Nigeria,” he stated. “States must take proactive roles in protecting citizens, fostering inclusion, and driving development that underpins sustainable peace. A federated republic demands federated security.”
He urged the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow states to establish and manage their own police forces under strict legislative oversight.“Properly legislated and regulated state police are not threats to unity they are guarantees of it,” Sani insisted.
The governor criticized the over-reliance on federal responses, saying state governments have been sidelined despite being closest to local security dynamics.
“For too long, the discourse around insecurity has been dominated by federal actions, often neglecting the indispensable role of states,” he said.
“The solution lies in a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach with states not as intermediaries, but as architects of peace, inclusion, and economic revival.”
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