Terror Attacks: DAWN Commission Reawakens Call for State Police

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission has called on the National Assembly and the federal government to expedite legislative actions for the establishment of state police, amid recent spate of terror attacks.

In a statement signed by the Director General of the commission, Mr Seye Oyeleye, it was emphasised that the recent attacks witnessed in the country have made the establishment of state police not just a legislative necessity, but a moral imperative.

“It is the only credible path to restoring confidence in governance, protecting lives and property, and ensuring that Nigeria remains a cohesive and sovereign nation,” it said in the statement on Thursday.

“Nigeria is at a critical juncture. The expansion and boldness of terrorists, bandits, and criminal groups perpetrating violent crimes against innocent citizens and communities have reached alarming proportions.

“With every geopolitical zone experiencing attacks by groups of violent criminals, the daily reports of killings, kidnappings, and destruction of livelihoods paint a grim picture of a nation under siege,” the commission noted.

The country has faced a series of security challenges in the past week including the killing of a Brigadier-General by the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), the abduction of 26 school girls in Kebbi State, and an attack on churchgoers in Kwara State.

DAWN Commission said the Nigerian Army is being stretched to its limits and cannot handle the insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and communal and herdsmen clashes in the Middle Belt.

“It is evident that without urgent legislative action to empower states to develop their own policing and intelligence structures, the country risks sliding into a total breakdown of law and order,” Mr Oyeleye said.

The group warned while majority of these attacks were carried out in communities, urban centres are not spared, with brazen attacks on highways and residential areas rising.

It alluded to the recent threats by the Donald Trump administration in the United States, and warned about unchecked legislative actions might cause.

“Such external pressures, if materialized, would complicate Nigeria’s already fragile ethno-religious relationships, displace millions, and cast a long shadow over the country’s sovereignty and future stability.

“The consequences of failing to ramp up Nigeria’s security infrastructure with state police are grave. Ethno-religious conflicts will intensify as communities resort to self-help in the absence of credible protection. Vigilante groups, unregulated and untrained, will proliferate, further destabilizing the fragile peace. The absence of localized policing will embolden criminal networks, leading to a collapse of trust in government institutions and a descent into anarchy,”

“A systemic approach to peace, conflict management, and law and order is urgently required, and the establishment of state police is central to this strategy,” the organisation added.

It said localized policing will allow for intelligence gathering rooted in community knowledge, enabling swift and precise responses to threats. However, it said while concerns about state policing are valid, they are also surmountable.

“The DAWN Commission recommends robust constitutional safeguards, independent oversight bodies, and clear operational guidelines to ensure accountability. Recruitment and training must be professionalized, with well established global standards guiding the establishment of state police forces.

“Collaboration between federal and state agencies should be institutionalized to prevent abuse and ensure synergy. With these measures, state police will not be instruments of oppression but guardians of peace and order.”