By Tony Adibe
A Chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), and former Director General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu has appealed to President Bola Tinubu, as a matter of urgent national importance, to establish Special Police Constabulary Unit (SPCU) in line with Sections 105-109 of Nigeria Police Act 2020 to tackle insecurity in Nigeria’s rural communities.
Okechukwu, who spoke with journalists on Sunday in Abuja, emphasised that the SPCU was important given the palpable insecurity in the local communities and the “lukewarm attitude of the governors” to establish the much-taunted State Police.
The politician maintained that the establishment of SPCU “is without prejudice to the less than transparent operations of the Nigeria Police Force; as the unit should be young, fresh, disciplined, devoid of authoritarian antics and equipped with a sophisticated arsenal to contain kidnappers, terrorists and insurgents at the grassroots.”
TY Danjuma
NewsBits reports that Okechukwu’s appeal for the establishment of Special Police Constabulary Unit (SPCU) is coming when the Director General of Nigeria’s secret police – the Department of State Services (DSS) – Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi said recently that the department should be shut down.
Ajayi’s proposal was reportedly based on the prevailing condition of insecurity in Nigeria, which obviously, suggests a collapse of the government’s traditional security network. The DSS boss said that communities – not the country’s security agencies – should now become the nation’s first line of defense in tackling the current matters.
The Punch reported that Ajayi made the controversial proposal in mid-February in Abuja in the presence of various current and erstwhile security Chiefs, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Chief of Defense Staff, Christopher Musa, “none of whom objected to the smug idea.”
Ajayi further said: “You do not expect the Nigeria Army, Police, and DSS to protect every Nigerian. It is not going to work.” Also, former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), has reiterated his earlier call for Nigerians to defend themselves against bandits and criminals, warning that relying solely on the government for protection is no longer realistic.
Danjuma, who spoke at a recent event in Taraba State, emphasised that his warning five years ago remained relevant amid the increasing wave of Insecurity across Nigeria. He said the recent spate of killings in Benue, Plateau, and other parts of the country had once again validated his concerns.
“The warning I gave some years ago is still as valid as it was then. Nigerians must rise and defend themselves. We cannot continue to sit and watch while bandits, terrorists, and criminal gangs massacre our people unchecked,” he said.
Danjuma further said: “It’s now very clear that the government alone cannot protect us. We must stand up and defend ourselves, our families, and our lands before these criminals overrun the entire country.” His comments followed the wave of renewed attacks in Benue and Plateau States where dozens of lives have been lost and several communities displaced recently.
In his proposal to curb the menace of insecurity ravaging Nigeria communities, Okechukwu stated: “The Special Constabulary Police should be funded from the National Emergency Fund, specifically recruited from indigenes of the given state in collaboration with the governors, LGAs and local communities and strewn with scant Federal strings to approximate the yearnings of Restructure-Nigeria Elements.”
Okechukwu bemoaned what he described as the indifference of the 36 governors towards the formation of State Police after their endorsement of it. “It could be recalled that a few months ago, we jubilated when the last NEC informed Nigerians that the majority of the 36 State Governors had in a bipartisan manner endorsed the establishment of State Police,” said the former DG of VON.
Okechukwu raised the alarm that the same National Executive Council (NEC) at the end of last Thursday, April 24, 2025, meeting “exhibited nonchalance mindset to such urgent national security policy, leaving us” with SPCU as credible alternative.
The angry Okechukwu further said: “For your information, State Police was part of our agenda today, unfortunately because of time demands after a very long meeting. You know we have been here for a very long time, because of the presentations, we were unable to get to that.” His Excellency, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri submitted.
“Is the above statement not alarming that despite the gruesome insecurity in our dear country, the National Economic Council (NEC) – Vice President, Governors and some Ministers in attendance rose from the meeting on Thursday without according to State Police the urgency it deserves?”
Okechukwu
He said: “To validate the essence of establishment of SPCU, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday, out of frustration over insecurity paralysis, rebuked the commanders of Mobile Police Force (MOPOL), over deployment of officers to VIPs quibbled,
“Regrettably, that foundational mandate has, over time, been severely compromised. A significant number of PMF personnel are currently deployed as escorts, guards, or aides to private individuals and VIPs.”
Okechukwu, however, said: “My dear countrymen, now that our governors are hesitant to establish State Police over the years, and Mobile Police have lost focus; do we in all intents and purposes put all our eggs in their basket, especially in a sordid scenario where farmers cannot go to their farms, our youths are idle and multidimensional poverty is on the increase?”
The APC Chieftain passionately appealed to President Tinubu, on the need to set up Special Police Constabulary Unit as “the answer, because it will give life to the financial autonomy you accorded local government councils, democracy friendly and perform better security functions, as they will be fresh disciplined force with guaranteed funding via the National Emergency Fund.”
