Northern Youth Council Opposes State Police, Warns of Political Misuse

The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has firmly opposed the proposed creation of state police, warning that it would worsen insecurity in the country rather than solve it.

In a statement released by its National President, Isah Abubakar, the group described the move as a misplaced priority that would merely duplicate existing security functions while ignoring the deep-rooted challenges facing the Nigeria Police Force and other security institutions.

Abubakar noted that the current security structure is already plagued by underfunding, insufficient manpower, inadequate equipment, poor welfare for officers, and persistent corruption allegations.

“Creating new agencies will only compound these problems instead of solving them,” he said, emphasizing that resources should instead go into recruiting and training more personnel for the Nigeria Police Force, with guarantees of proper welfare and allowances.

The Council further expressed fears that state-controlled police formations would come under the influence of politicians, paving the way for abuse of power and violations of citizens’ rights.

“The Nigerian politicians are not yet ready to accommodate such a complex system or enjoy the authority of security independent of the state. We are very sure they will abuse it,” Abubakar warned.

As an alternative, the NYCN called on the federal government to initiate a comprehensive overhaul and expansion of the Nigeria Police Force. According to the group, a country of over 200 million people needs at least 5 million police officers, compared to the current workforce of fewer than 300,000.

“At a time of crucial decisions like this, we must add our voice to say no to state police,” Abubakar added, insisting that history would vindicate their stance.