Ndume justifies backing state police, insists Nigeria is underpoliced

​Ndume also argued that a vast country like Nigeria should not be centralised under one IGP “controlled by the centre”.

​By Kehinde Okeowo

​The Senator representing Borno South in the Senate, Ali Ndume, has explained why he voted in favour of the bill establishing state police in Nigeria, claiming the country is not adequately policed.

​He defended his decision on Wednesday while appearing as a guest on the Arise Television programme, Prime Time.

​TheNiche had earlier reported that the Senate on Wednesday passed the bill for the establishment of state police to address the issue of insecurity in the country.

​The legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Provide for the Establishment of State Police and Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 (SB. 1055),” was approved after consideration by the Committee of the Whole.

​Speaking during the interview, Ndume said Nigeria needs at least one million police officers for a population of over 200 million people.

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​He also argued that a vast country like Nigeria should not be centralised under one Inspector General of Police (IGP) “controlled by the centre”.

​“What prompted me to support state police 100% is the reality that the number of police officers we currently have is far from adequate,” Ndume stated.

​The federal legislator added, “Nigeria’s total police strength is nothing to write home about. According to the UN benchmark, there should be between 200 and 400 police officers for every 100,000 people. Nigeria is nowhere near that standard.

​“A vast country like Nigeria, if you have centralised the policing under one IGP controlled by the centre, not decentralising it, that will never be effective, and that is where we found ourselves.

​“So, I don’t see anything wrong with having a decentralised police system, that is to say, the state police under the state governor, who is the chief security officer of the state.”