Ubani Warns: State Police May Fail Without Functional Local Governments

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Monday Ubani, has warned that the proposed State Police initiative may not achieve its desired objectives without strong and functional Local Government Areas (LGAs).

Ubani, who spoke as a guest on Arise TV’s Morning Show programme, stressed that effective security architecture in the country depends largely on empowering local councils, noting that “security is local.”

According to him, without properly functioning Local Government Areas and councils, the State Police idea may become ineffective or face serious challenges.

While commending the National Assembly for the passage of the State Police Bill, Ubani also praised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for initiating what he described as a significant step towards addressing federalism and restructuring Nigeria’s policing system.

He, however, maintained that the success of the initiative would depend on strengthening the grassroots governance system, insisting that Local Governments remain critical players in intelligence gathering and community-based security.

The legal practitioner noted that a decentralised policing system must be supported by functional institutions at the local level to ensure that security responses reflect the realities and needs of communities.

“Security is local,” Ubani reiterated, adding that empowering Local Governments is essential if Nigeria must maximise the benefits of State Police.