Magnus Onyibe’s new book on state police, due for launch next month in Abuja, enters the national conversation as support for decentralised policing gathers momentum at the Presidency and in the National Assembly. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reviews a timely contribution to one of Nigeria’s most important policy debates
Since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, calls for state police have steadily moved from the political margins to the centre of national discourse. The country’s worsening security situation has since lent fresh urgency to the issue, turning what was once a constitutional question into a pressing national concern.
It is against this backdrop, and with renewed momentum behind the state police debate following recent endorsements from both the Presidency and the National Assembly, that Magnus Onyibe offers The Imperative of State Police in Nigeria. Rather than resorting to slogans or political rhetoric, the book advances a carefully researched case for restructuring Nigeria’s policing system through a blend of historical analysis, constitutional argument and practical policy proposals.
Few books could have appeared at a more opportune moment. Across the country, insecurity has eroded public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force’s ability to protect lives and property. Kidnappings, banditry, insurgency and violent crime have become distressingly familiar, while many communities increasingly rely on local vigilante groups and other informal security arrangements.
