June 16, 2026
By Juliet Umeh
Former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, has attributed the worsening insecurity across Nigeria to years of inadequate funding, poor manpower, and insufficient equipment for the Nigeria Police Force, warning that the country’s security challenges will persist unless the government prioritises the police.
Speaking on the nation’s security situation during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Okiro said the police, as the lead agency responsible for internal security, have suffered prolonged neglect, leaving the force ill-equipped to effectively combat banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, and other criminal activities.
According to him, “The police are not well-funded. They don’t have enough manpower and equipment. The federal government has so many responsibilities, and the police are just one of them. What we are seeing today is the result of the neglect of the police.”
