Senate Pushes for State Police, Tech-Driven Overhaul as Antidote to Nigeria’s Insecurity

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate, yesterday, stepped toward reshaping Nigeria’s security framework and endorsed far-reaching recommendations that included the establishment of state police, a move to intelligence-driven operations and massive deployment of technology to stem the country’s worsening insecurity.

The resolutions followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on National Security Summit, presented at plenary by the Chairman of the panel and Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

The session was presided over by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, while all the committee’s observations and recommendations were unanimously carried by lawmakers.

Presenting the report, Bamidele said stakeholders across the six geopolitical zones applauded the National Assembly for convening the security summit.

He described it as a bold legislative intervention in the face of rising violence that has become a national concern requiring urgent, collective solutions.

The committee observed that Nigeria’s current security architecture is largely reactive rather than preventive, leaving the country to confront 21st-century crimes with outdated tools.

It noted that insecurity was being fuelled by a combination of illegal mining, porous borders, unemployment, poverty, drug abuse, illiteracy, radicalisation, weak intelligence gathering and the existence of vast ungoverned spaces with little or no government presence.

According to the report, the persistent profiling of citizens along ethnic, regional and religious lines has also undermined national cohesion and development, while marginalisation in public appointments has intensified agitations across the country.

The panel further lamented the huge losses suffered by victims of violent attacks, including ancestral lands, livelihoods and cultural heritage sites, calling for urgent recovery and restitution.

Central to the committee recommendations was a constitutional amendment to decentralise policing through the establishment of state police, in line with the recognition of governors and local government chairmen as chief security officers of their domains.

The report argued that localised policing, supported by strengthened vigilante groups and ward-level security liaison committees, would improve intelligence gathering, early warning and rapid response.

The Senate also urged a comprehensive redesign of the national security architecture to prioritise prevention, deep inter-agency collaboration and intelligence sharing among the military, police, DSS, immigration, customs, civil defence, intelligence agencies, traditional institutions and community groups through joint operations centres.

In a bid to address root causes of insecurity, lawmakers recommended the creation of a National Youth Stabilisation Fund targeted at conflict-affected areas to tackle unemployment, poverty, drug addiction and radicalisation.

They also called for strict regulation of mining activities to halt illegal operations linked to armed groups.

On technology, the committee proposed massive investment in modern surveillance systems, including drones, CCTV and sensors along borders and forests, as well as upgraded communications, patrol mobility and rapid response capabilities.

It urged the establishment of mobile courts for speedy justice and the fast-tracking of a National Security and Recovery Bill to rebuild conflict-hit communities.

The Senate further emphasised the need to empower traditional and religious institutions as security stakeholders, curb extremist preaching, protect forests through a proposed Forest Guards Bill, and fully implement local government autonomy to strengthen grassroots governance and security.

All the federal lawmakers in attendance applauded the adhoc committee for a great job done and noted that the approved recommendations, if well implemented, would go a long way to address the perennial insecurity situations bedeviling the country.

With the adoption of the report, the Senate signalled its resolve to drive sweeping legislative and constitutional reforms aimed at restoring peace, rebuilding trust and securing lives and property across Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Senate, yesterday, witnessed another major political shift as the Senator representing Kaduna South, Sunday Marshall Katung, formally resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The letter of resignation and defection, dated October 31, 2025, was read on the floor of the Red Chamber by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary, drawing reactions from lawmakers across party lines.

In the letter, Katung said his decision to leave the PDP was the outcome of deep reflection and extensive consultations with stakeholders, supporters and constituents in Kaduna South Senatorial District.

“I wish to formally convey my decision to resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party with effect from the 31st day of October 2025,” the senator stated, stressing that the move was not taken lightly.

Katung explained that while he had remained committed to the ideals of democracy, good governance and service to the people, evolving political realities at both the national and constituency levels compelled him to re-evaluate his political platform.

“Over the years, I have remained steadfast in my commitment to the ideals which the PDP once stood for.

“However, the prevailing realities within our nation and my constituency have made it necessary to seek a platform better suited to advance my aspiration of caring for my people and promoting their welfare,” he said.