A former APC senatorial candidate for Benue South, Daniel Onjeh, has described President Bola Tinubu’s transmission of the State Police Constitutional Amendment Bill to the National Assembly as the most significant measure taken so far to address Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.

In a statement issued on Monday, Onjeh said the proposed decentralisation of policing represents a major milestone in the search for lasting solutions to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country.

“The transmission of the State Police Bill by President Tinubu is arguably the most significant step taken so far towards addressing insecurity in Nigeria,” he said. “It demonstrates a willingness to confront one of the fundamental structural weaknesses in our security architecture.”

According to Onjeh, Nigeria’s highly centralised policing system has struggled to effectively respond to the country’s growing security challenges despite its vast population and geographical size.

He argued that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community participation and enhance trust between citizens and security agencies.

“Security is most effective when those protecting a community know the community and the community knows those protecting it. Local knowledge remains one of the most powerful tools in crime prevention and intelligence gathering,” he stated.

The former Chairman of the Governing Board of the Projects Development Institute (PRODA), Enugu, also advocated constitutionally recognised local government policing structures to complement state police and ensure security presence reaches grassroots communities.

Onjeh said the reform could create employment opportunities for thousands of young Nigerians while improving public confidence through community-based recruitment and character verification processes involving traditional rulers and local leaders.

He further renewed his call for full implementation of local government autonomy, arguing that financially independent councils would be better positioned to support security operations, stimulate local economies and improve service delivery.

The former National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) president also urged the Federal Government to strengthen border security, deploy advanced surveillance technologies and improve intelligence gathering in line with recommendations by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.

While acknowledging Nigerians’ right to demand accountability from government, Onjeh urged citizens to focus on reforms capable of delivering long-term solutions.

“We must move beyond personality-based politics and concentrate on policy-based solutions,” he said.

He called on the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to expedite consideration of the State Police Bill, describing it as a historic opportunity to restructure Nigeria’s security architecture and improve the protection of lives and property.