As the debate over State Police gathers fresh momentum, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police ’Leye Oyebade has proposed a hybrid security framework.
His model seeks to merge the grassroots focus of community policing with the structural advantages of a state-led police force.
Oyebade argued that solving Nigeria’s multifaceted security challenges requires more than just a new label; it demands the introduction of community policing supported by deep institutional reforms, seamless inter-agency cooperation, and significant investment in digital technology for personnel.
The retired DIG shared these insights as a guest on Boiling Point Arena, a monthly public discourse hosted by media professional and PR strategist Dr. Ayo Arowojolu, monitored by Persecondnews.
The discourse, titled “Decentralised Security Architecture: Redefining Federal and States’ Roles in State Policing as Nigeria Battles Escalating Insecurity,” was transmitted via Zoom and broadcast live across six radio stations in Lagos, Ogun, and Edo States, with notable input from the Olowu of Owu Kingdom in Abeokuta, Oba (Prof.) Saka Matemilola who chaired the session.
Oyebade said: “The best strategy to combat crime at all levels, at the strategic level, operational level and tactical level, is community policing which incorporates all the relevant stakeholders at the local level including civilian populace, and operatives of various agencies synergizing and sharing intelligence.
“My recommendation is that all these be fused into those advantages in the State Police model, then it becomes an hybrid security architecture.
“Nigeria police is a must to be reformed, to be fine-tuned, to be repositioned for capacity building, training and retraining of the personnel in order for them to be able to adapt to the use of IT-driven technology to combat the modern crime of today.
“Crime is prevented at the local level and we can prevent crime from escalating and snowballing into real crises.
“To make policing work in Nigeria, we need to first and foremost go back to the Constitution to seek legislative amendments and then reform the Police to bring them back to occupy their rightful place as the lead agency in the internal security architecture of the country.
“We cannot just leave the Police the way it is presently. The personnel are down and no equipment to work with and their morale is down as well. The cumulative neglect of the Police overtime is what led to inefficiency in crime combatting. The truth is the Police has been impoverished for long.”
The security expert however cautioned submitted that any reform towards state policing would fail without a foundational shift in the character of the average personnel.
“The fear of God, patriotism and professional integrity must underpin any reform. The hybrid model of decentralized accountability which we are advocating requires a more responsive people-centric force that understands the nuances of the terrain it protects, all of which are geared at bridging the trust gap between the uniform and citizenry”, he stressed.
Oyebade further said that rather than tasking other security agencies with basic work tasks of the Police, the military should only be called in when there are overwhelming challenges beyond capacity of the Police.
“This is how it is being done all over the world. You don’t bring out your joker out too early. Your joker is the military. They are the last joker but if you use your joker out early, what else are you going to use?
“In a democracy, the military is not to be seen on the streets as we are seeing them in Nigeria, he said.
“Government should carry out deep reforms, fund them heavily, and boost the salary of policemen to empower them to handle the challenges”
While acknowledging concerns that state police could be weaponized by governors and foster national disunity, Oyebade emphasized the need for strict federal oversight.
He warned that unless rules and operational standards remain national, the system risks devolving into regional despotism.
The concept of community policing—originally recommended by the Senior Executive Course 40 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS)—was officially adopted by the Federal Government in a 2018 White Paper and is currently being integrated into the existing police structure.
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