Seadogs demand state policing, security decentralisation

The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Pyrates Confraternity, Atlantic Shores Deck, Eket Chapter, has called for the urgent decentralisation of Nigeria’s security architecture to enable states to establish and manage their own policing structures.

The President of the association, Cap’n Idongesit Ifon, made the call in a statement issued to journalists on Thursday in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

According to Ifon, Nigeria’s highly centralised policing framework has become inadequate for addressing local security challenges across communities.

He argued that while the Federal Government should retain responsibility for national security, intelligence gathering and cross-border operations, states must be empowered to handle local policing to ensure faster response times and improved public safety.

Ifon said centralised policing has weakened community security due to bureaucratic delays, overlapping responsibilities and limited local autonomy, resulting in slow responses to crimes such as kidnapping, banditry and communal violence.

He noted that the impact of these shortcomings is more pronounced in the Niger Delta region, including Akwa Ibom State, where security gaps have continued to expose communities to criminal activities.

“Decentralised policing would enhance security delivery through quicker response times, clearer accountability in the management of security funds, and stronger community engagement,” he said.

Ifon also compared Nigeria’s police-to-population ratio with international standards, noting that while the United States has about one police officer to every 40 citizens, Nigeria has more than one officer to over 600 citizens.

He added that the frequent redeployment of police personnel for national assignments often leaves local communities understaffed and vulnerable, a situation he said state policing could help address.

Expressing concern over rising cases of domestic violence, child abuse and other interpersonal crimes, Ifon said the trend underscored the need for a flexible and locally responsive security framework.

He urged citizens, security experts and policymakers to engage in constructive discussions on decentralised policing, with emphasis on clearly defining federal and state security roles, improving operational efficiency, strengthening community oversight and establishing safeguards against abuse.

Ifon described state policing as critical to building a secure, inclusive and responsive society, adding that empowering states would help restore public trust in law enforcement and ensure transparency in the use of security resources.