The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, a dedicated technocratic institution for the sustainable development of the Southwest geopolitical zone, has raised alarm over the escalating wave of insecurity across the country, warning that the boldness of terrorists, bandits, and other violent criminals has reached unprecedented and dangerous levels.
The Commission issued the warning in a statement signed by its Director General, Dr Seye Oyeleye, calling for urgent federal legislative action to establish state police as part of a systemic overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture.
According to DAWN, Nigeria is facing a national emergency as violent groups continue to expand their operations across all geopolitical zones.
Daily reports of killings, kidnappings, and attacks on communities, the Commission said, have painted a grim picture of a country under siege.
It noted that despite the valiant efforts of the Nigerian Army, the military has become overstretched, fighting insurgents in the North-East, bandits in the North-West and dealing with persistent communal and herdsmen-related clashes in the Middle Belt.
“Nigeria is at a critical juncture. The expansion and boldness of terrorists, bandits, and criminal groups perpetrating violent crimes against innocent citizens and communities have reached alarming proportions,” the Commission said.
“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.”
DAWN cited recent incidents in Benue State, where marauding herdsmen razed entire communities, killing scores and displacing thousands.
It also referenced the abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi State, which occurred in broad daylight, describing it as a brazen mockery of the nation’s ability to protect its future generation. Attacks on places of worship targeting both Christians and Muslims, as well as growing insecurity in urban centres, were also highlighted as indicators of a deteriorating national situation.
The Commission further warned that international concerns, including recent threats of foreign intervention by the Trump administration in the United States over alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria, could plunge the country into deeper instability.
Such intervention, it said, would inflame already fragile ethno-religious tensions, displace more citizens, and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.
DAWN argued that failure to establish state police would worsen the insecurity crisis, leading to a proliferation of unregulated vigilante groups as communities resort to self-help. Criminal networks, it said, would further entrench themselves in ungoverned spaces, while public trust in government institutions would continue to collapse.
Emphasising the merits of a decentralised security system, the Commission stated that state police would bolster intelligence gathering, promote community-based policing, and help states respond more swiftly and effectively to their unique security challenges.
It added that state police would complement existing federal agencies, creating a layered and more resilient national security framework.
While acknowledging fears that state police could be misused by governors, DAWN said these concerns were “valid but surmountable.”
It proposed strong constitutional safeguards, independent oversight bodies, professional recruitment, and globally aligned training standards to guarantee accountability and prevent abuse.
“Nigeria stands at a precipice,” the Commission warned.
“The current insecurity is a clear and present danger, threatening the unity, stability, and future of the nation. Foreign intervention, if allowed to occur, will not only undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty but also exacerbate ethnic and religious divisions, leading to mass displacements and long-term instability.”
It urged the National Assembly and the Federal Government to expedite legislative processes for the establishment of state police, stressing that every day of delay further endangers Nigerian lives and weakens democratic foundations.
DAWN insisted that establishing state police is not just a legislative necessity but a moral imperative to protect citizens and preserve Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“The establishment of state police is not just a legislative necessity; it is a moral imperative. It is the only credible path to restoring confidence in governance, protecting lives and property, and ensuring that Nigeria remains a cohesive and sovereign nation,” it added.
DAWN was set up by the governments of the Southwest states as the institutional and programme management body to midwife their regional integration agenda.
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