Christian leaders have thrown their weight behind the establishment of state police, urging the Federal Government to fully implement the proposed policing reforms as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
The call was made by the Spiritual Advisory Council (SAC) of the Christ Church, an umbrella body comprising the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Methodist Church of Nigeria and Presbyterian Church of Nigeria.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the council’s meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the church leaders said Nigeria’s security challenges could be better addressed through a dual policing structure involving both federal and state police commands.
The communiqué was signed by the Prelate and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Most Rev’d Ekpenyong Nyong Akpanika.
Akpanika said the council had taken note of the Federal Government’s efforts to constitutionally restructure the country’s policing system.
According to him, the proposed arrangement could produce a more localised and effective policing system, allowing security agencies to respond more closely to threats within communities.
The church body commended the Federal Government, the armed forces and other security agencies for what it described as recent progress in reducing insecurity across the country.
However, the council expressed concern over the continued occurrence of kidnapping and other violent crimes, warning that the situation remained a serious threat to citizens and communities.
It urged the government and security agencies to intensify their efforts and take urgent steps to curb what it described as the country’s seemingly intractable kidnapping crisis.
The church leaders maintained that tackling insecurity requires not only security operations but also a policing system capable of responding effectively to threats at the local level.
Their support adds to growing calls for state police as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture and strengthen community-level responses to crime.
