By Okoi Obono-Obla
Security in Nigeria is fundamentally a local issue, best addressed through collaborative partnerships between Local Government Areas and their respective state governments. Yet, because many do not fully grasp how federalism works, there is a persistent assumption that the President in Abuja should be directly involved in maintaining local security in communities hundreds of kilometres away. This misconception has led to over-centralisation, politicking, and the weaponisation of insecurity.
To correct this, policing in Nigeria must be decentralised. It should be removed from the exclusive legislative list and placed on the concurrent list, thereby empowering both states and local governments to take ownership of their security challenges. Such an arrangement would ensure that responses are swift, tailored, and effective.
The experience of Cross River State under Governor Bassey Otu Edet provides a compelling case study. Before his administration, kidnapping had become a serious and fundamental security and social issue, with Calabar alone recording more than 20 cases daily. The turning point came with the appointment of a retired General as the State Security Adviser and the government’s massive investment in security infrastructure. This strategic approach reduced kidnapping incidents to the barest minimum, restoring calm and stability across the state.
The Cross River model demonstrates that effective security is best achieved through localised solutions rather than waiting for Abuja. States like Edo should emulate this approach instead of relying on federal intervention, which often becomes bogged down in politics.
When viewed against the broader African context, Nigeria’s kidnapping statistics reveal an important perspective:
– Nigeria recorded 3,012 kidnappings between January 2024 and April 2025.
– Cameroon, particularly in its Anglophone regions, documented about 450 ransom kidnappings in 2023, more than double the 200 cases reported in 2022.
– South Africa faces a far more severe crisis, with 17,000 kidnapping cases reported in 2024 alone, marking a 260% increase over the past decade.
These figures show that while Nigeria’s kidnapping problem is serious and requires urgent reforms, it is comparatively less severe than in South Africa, where kidnappings have become a national epidemic, or Cameroon, where conflict-driven abductions are escalating.
Conclusion:
Nigeria’s federal structure demands that states take ownership of their security challenges. By decentralising policing and empowering state governments to act decisively, communities can be better protected, and the cycle of insecurity can be broken. The Cross River State example proves that with strong leadership and investment, localised security solutions can succeed. It is time for other states, especially Edo, to follow suit.
