The Federal Government has intensified efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing system amid growing insecurity and concerns over communities resorting to self-help.

The development followed the appointment of Professor Emmanuel Olukemi Rotimi of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, to the Policy Advisory Committee of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill.

The proposed bill is expected to provide a legal framework for a dual policing structure comprising Federal and State Police Services. It will also address funding, accountability, oversight, training, firearms control and information sharing.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu ordered the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue victims abducted from a mosque in Niger State.

The attackers reportedly stormed Kpenya Mosque in Borgu Local Government Area after attacking nearby communities, with at least 60 people reportedly abducted.

Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, National Human Rights Commission Executive Secretary Anthony Ojukwu also called for the urgent establishment of State Police.

Ojukwu said decentralised policing would improve response times because officers would be more familiar with local communities and terrain. However, he stressed that strong oversight and accountability mechanisms would be necessary to prevent political abuse and human rights violations.

Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, also called for greater measures to enable citizens to protect themselves, including easier access to firearms. He alleged that some security agencies were aware of the identities and locations of criminals responsible for kidnappings and attacks.

The proposed National Policing Bill is expected to form part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen security and address weaknesses in Nigeria’s existing policing structure.