By Esther Onyegbula

U.S.-based police officer and public policy analyst, Monday Alade, has warned that Nigeria has reached a defining security crossroads and must urgently embrace structural reforms, beginning with the creation of state police, if it is to respond credibly to rising global concern over violent extremism and insecurity across the country.

Alade’s position follows a high-level meeting last week between the United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell at the Pentagon, where the U.S. pressed Nigeria to demonstrate “concrete and urgent action” in tackling jihadist networks and protecting vulnerable populations.

Although the U.S. noted that attacks against Christians in Nigeria do not constitute state-sponsored persecution, the concern, he said, reflects the uncomfortable reality that churches, much like mosques, markets, schools, palaces, and transport hubs, have increasingly become soft targets in a nationwide wave of extremist violence.

According to Alade, the development signals that Nigeria’s security performance is now under global evaluation and that cosmetic changes will no longer suffice.

“Security Is Local, Crime Is Local”

Reacting to the U.S. position, Alade said the most urgent reform Nigeria must now implement is the decentralisation of the police system to allow states establish their own policing formations.

“Nigeria is the only major federal system in the world that still operates a fully centralised police structure,” he said. “With more than 220 million people spread across diverse terrain and cultures, a one-size-fits-all security model can no longer protect the country.”

He argued that the disconnect between local realities and a centralised command has fuelled slow response times, weak intelligence gathering, limited community trust and a pattern where every security failure is blamed on the President, even in remote areas far removed from federal control.

“State police will correct this imbalance,” he added. “It will empower governors to secure their states, free the President from impossible expectations, and allow communities to work with officers who understand their terrain, language and cultural context.”

Alade noted that the Pentagon’s message underscores a broader shift: Nigeria must now demonstrate measurable reforms to strengthen internal security, particularly against extremist violence targeting vulnerable groups.

“Such expectations cannot be met through outdated structures,” he said. “The world is watching Nigeria’s response, and state police is the strongest signal we can send to show readiness for modern, intelligence-driven security.”

A scholar of human security with a Master’s degree in Global Affairs, Alade said his professional experience across multiple countries ranging from the U.S. to Israel, Brazil and the U.K, shows that decentralised policing improves accountability, strengthens intelligence penetration, and enhances response time.

“Nigeria cannot defeat 21st-century threats with a 20th-century policing model,” he insisted.

Alade, who is seeking to represent Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in 2027, said he would prioritise the establishment of state police through a comprehensive legislative framework if elected.

His proposals include: Sponsoring a State Police Establishment Bill anchored on global best practices.
Working with the Federal Government, the Inspector-General of Police, NSA, governors and local authorities to define operational boundaries and jurisdictions.
Designing training standards for intelligence gathering, tactical response, recruitment and community policing.
Developing policy blueprints to ensure seamless integration between federal, state and local policing structures.
Leading security briefings to educate lawmakers on global models of decentralised policing.
Strengthening officer welfare, safety and operational clarity.

He said the scale of reform required demands technical knowledge, political courage and diplomatic skill, qualities he believes he brings to the table.
Nigeria, he noted, is a complex federation of more than 250 ethnic groups, multiple religions and a geography vulnerable to insurgency and organised crime. Centralised policing, he said, has proven incapable of covering this terrain effectively.
According to him, state police would enhance intelligence gathering, improve community trust, strengthen rapid response, reduce pressure on the federal government and bolster Nigeria’s global reputation.
“This reform is not a political gambit,” he said. “It is a constitutional necessity. It is a national survival strategy.”
Alade warned that while Nigeria has made progress, the current security structure cannot sustain long-term stability.
“The United States has signalled its expectations. Nigerians are demanding safety. Governors have admitted that the current system is failing. Global trends and national realities point in the same direction,” he said.
“State police is inevitable. State police is necessary. It is the next chapter in Nigeria’s security evolution. And in 2027 if Ikale and Irele Federal Constituency entrusted me with legislative responsibility, I will champion this reform with the urgency and clarity it deserves.”
He urged Nigeria’s political leadership to seize the moment, noting that the country stands at a rare intersection where domestic demand and international pressure both call for the same reform.
“This is Nigeria’s turning point,” he said.