In a statement issued by its Director-General, Dr. Seye Oyeleye, the Commission said Nigeria had reached “a critical juncture,” with terrorists, bandits and criminal groups expanding their operations and unleashing unprecedented violence on communities across all geopolitical zones.
Oyeleye noted that the daily reports of killings, kidnappings and destruction of livelihoods “paint a grim picture of a nation under siege,” stressing that the Nigerian Army, though courageous, was overstretched and unable to singlehandedly contain the multifront security crises confronting the country.
“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,” the Commission warned.
DAWN listed recent attacks in Benue, where villages were razed by marauding herdsmen, as well as the abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi State, attacks on worship centres and rising urban criminality, as evidence of an escalating emergency requiring systemic reforms.
The Commission also raised concerns over external pressures following a reported threat of foreign intervention by the Trump administration in the United States, which cited alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria. Such intervention, DAWN cautioned, would deepen ethno-religious tensions, displace millions and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.
It warned that continued failure to overhaul Nigeria’s security structure could fuel ethno-religious violence, encourage the proliferation of unregulated vigilante groups and embolden criminal networks, ultimately eroding public trust in government institutions.
According to the Commission, state police remains central to a sustainable security strategy, offering “localized intelligence, swift response capacity, and security solutions tailored to each region’s unique challenges.”
“State police will serve as a force multiplier, complementing the federal security system, not competing with it. It will demonstrate to the world that Nigeria is committed to confronting insecurity decisively and undertaking systemic reforms”, the statement read.
While acknowledging concerns that state police could be misused by governors as personal militias, DAWN said such fears were “valid but surmountable.” It recommended constitutional safeguards, independent oversight bodies, professionalized recruitment, and clearly defined operational standards rooted in global best practices.
With insurgency, banditry and violent crimes worsening across the country, the Commission insisted that establishing state police had become both a legislative and moral imperative.
“Nigeria stands at a precipice. The urgency cannot be overstated. Every day of delay costs Nigerian lives, deepens mistrust and weakens the foundations of our democracy,” the statement said.
DAWN therefore urged the National Assembly and the Federal Government to “expedite action without hesitation,” insisting that a systemic approach to peace and security anchored on state policing was the only credible path to preserving national unity, stability and sovereignty.
