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Former Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro says Nigeria’s worsening insecurity is the direct result of years of deliberate government neglect of the Nigeria Police Force.
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The retired police chief accused the government of starving the police of funding, modern weapons, operational logistics and critical security infrastructure needed to combat crime.
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Okiro insisted that the police, as Nigeria’s lead internal security agency, cannot effectively tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes without sustained investment.
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He, therefore, called for urgent reforms, improved police welfare, increased budgetary allocation and acquisition of modern equipment to rebuild public confidence and strengthen national security.
July 29, (THEWILL) — Former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mike Okiro, has blamed Nigeria’s deepening insecurity on what he described as the deliberate neglect of the Nigeria Police Force by successive governments, insisting that authorities have “no excuse” for allowing the country’s primary internal security agency to become underfunded and ill-equipped.
Speaking at the First Daily National Dialogue on Security in Abuja, Okiro argued that the country’s escalating wave of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes is closely linked to years of inadequate investment in policing.
He maintained that while the police remain constitutionally designated as the lead agency for internal security, the force has been deprived of the funding, equipment and operational support required to carry out its responsibilities effectively.
According to the former police chief, the inability of the Nigeria Police Force to respond decisively to growing security threats is not due to a lack of commitment by officers but rather the failure of government to provide the necessary resources.
Okiro accused the authorities of consistently neglecting the police despite the increasing complexity of security challenges across the country, warning that the consequences of such neglect are now evident in the rising level of insecurity.
“The police is the lead agency for internal security. But the government deliberately, I say deliberately, without any fear of contradiction, disarmed the police. The result is insecurity”, he said.
He explained that effective policing requires sustained investment in modern weapons, intelligence gathering, communication technology, surveillance equipment, mobility, personnel training and welfare, noting that these critical areas have suffered years of underfunding.
The former IGP stressed that expecting the police to combat heavily armed criminal groups without adequate operational capacity places officers at a serious disadvantage and undermines national security.
He further argued that strengthening the Nigeria Police Force should be at the centre of the country’s security strategy, insisting that no nation can guarantee internal security when its frontline law enforcement agency lacks the tools required to perform its constitutional duties.
Okiro called on the Federal Government to significantly increase budgetary allocations to the police, modernise its operational equipment, improve officers’ welfare and invest in critical security infrastructure capable of responding to emerging threats.
He also advocated sustained investment in intelligence-led policing, technology-driven crime fighting, forensic capabilities and continuous professional training, saying such measures are essential to rebuilding public confidence in the force.
According to him, addressing Nigeria’s security crisis requires more than deploying the military to internal operations, stressing that a well-funded and professionally equipped police force remains indispensable for effective law enforcement and crime prevention.
He warned that unless urgent steps are taken to reverse years of neglect, criminal networks will continue to exploit the operational weaknesses of the police, thereby worsening insecurity across the country.
Background
Nigeria has witnessed an upsurge in security challenges in recent years, including terrorism in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, kidnapping for ransom across several states, communal violence in the North-Central, separatist-related violence in parts of the South-East, and oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta.
The growing reliance on the military for internal security operations has also reignited debates over the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to fulfil its constitutional mandate. Security analysts have repeatedly argued that chronic underfunding, inadequate manpower, obsolete equipment, poor welfare packages and insufficient investment in technology have significantly weakened policing across the country.
Successive police reform panels and security experts have consistently recommended increased funding, modernisation of operational assets, improved welfare for officers, enhanced intelligence capabilities and stronger community policing initiatives as critical steps towards addressing Nigeria’s persistent security challenges.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
