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Insecurity: We Can’t Run Away From Community Policing, Fayemi Admits
The Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said community policing was the way to go but collaboration with the mainstream security agencies was needed to achieve results like western nations.
According to him, vigilante associations like Amotekun were achieving results with local intelligence with proofs to show in his state, Ekiti, adding that it is important to underscore a holistic approach to insecurity, because sitting at the centre of it, was bad government.
Fayemi said this, yesterday, during a panel discussion on overview of security situation across the states at the opening of a two-day multi-stakeholders meeting on the peace and inclusive security initiative organised by the NGF in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
He said: “We believe until and unless we begin to look at multi-level policing. That is what is happening in every nation around the world, we will not meet the demands of our people for local security and global protection. And ultimately, until we ensure that we address not just the conflicts and crime, but the causes of these conflicts. And we know some of them, out of school children, poverty in our communities, desperation, amongst the young people in the communities and generally good governance, improving the quality of governance. We may not be totally able to avoid what we are going through. Even when you have all that you will still have crime. But if you don’t have it at all, then it becomes even more problematic for you.”
Fayemi, who disagreed with the argument of a participant that state police would be prone to abuse, said abuses meted on some Nigerians by some security personnel is a proof that both federal or state police would still be prone to abuse.
According to him, as a sitting governor in 2014, he was abused by the police despite his immunity.
He said rather than condemn community policing, an institutional framework should be put in place to guard against abuse.
Fayemi explained “on local authorities who may not subscribe to institutionality rules. This is a perennial excuse that we get. I’m not going to sit here and make an excuse that such powers in the hands of some local actors may not be abused.
“Federal police that we all know abuse the rights of citizens, including the rights of governors, even with immunity, you may not know that. I was abused by federal police in 2014 during my election and I had immunity. Anybody could abuse.
“It could happen, even if you devolve security to the local level. However, what we need to be talking about is, what institutional frameworks should we put in place to ensure that such powers are not abused, not to use it as an excuse not to do the right thing.
“Because at the end of the day, there are mechanisms in our constitution to protect citizens’ rights.”
Fayemi noted that the police, despite having statutory body, the National Police Council recognised by the Constitution, unlike the National Judicial Council, was not effective in meting out punishments etc.
According to him, the National Police Council presided over by the president as chairman, and 36 governors as members, among others,was more or less a rubber stamp in doing the bidding of the executive.
Fayemi said: “Unfortunately, unlike the National Judicial Council, that is very effective in meting out punishments, sanctions, promotions, appointments for judicial officers across the length and breadth of the country.
“The National Police Council has only succeeded since the 1999 Constitution to ratify the appointment of Inspector General of Police. We are only summoned to National Police Council.
“And this is a constitutional body; by the way, check your Constitution you will find it there. It only meets when a new or acting Inspector General of Police is to be confirmed and ratified.
“That meeting is summoned and it meets for 10 or 30minutes. And then we look at the CV of the acting IG, and we approve. You’re not likely to disapprove anyway; the president has already appointed him. But that body has no powers beyond that,” he added.
The Ekiti governor further explained that in most countries where you have multi-level policing, there was a regulatory authority that was responsible for punishment and sanctioning those who go beyond their responsibilities.
“And I think that’s what we should be talking about. Rather than talking about the possibility of abuse, there would always be the possibility of abuse.
“We can’t run away from that. But do we have effective policing now that is federal? And there is no suggestion and that is why I didn’t use the term my brother (a participant) accused me of using, I said multi-level policing. I didn’t say state police, which means local police, state police, federal police, because arguing for multi-level policing does not suggest that we want federal police to go because there are federal crimes.
“There are also crimes that are within the borders of our states in accordance with the statute that’s been promulgated or enacted by our local state assemblies.
“And there are also crimes that are local because they are local jurisdictions by local governments. If you have not paid tenement rate, the local police should deal with you. It shouldn’t be state police, because the tenement rate is the responsibility of the local authority. Not the responsibility of the state. So, that’s my take on that,” he started.
On what states use security votes for, he said “Some states have something called security votes. It is not all states. Security votes have a history. And I will urge you to look for a book by Chief Jerome Ugoji. Serving three masters, that’s what the book is called. And you will find in that book: The origins of security votes in Nigeria.
“You say what do we do with it? Without mincing words, I can’t speak for others. But I also get feedback from other states in my capacity as chairman of the governor’s forum. There are hardly any of these institutions that you are talking about that we don’t fund. We found the police. We found the police more than the federal government, quote me.”
He added “we buy them vehicles. We pay them allowances. In some cases, we even buy ammunition, of course under the authority. And if we are to engage our military in aid to civil authority, which you will find, actually in 36 states in this country today, the military is involved in internal security operations, which is a problem because, for me, its role inflation.
“Now, when you inflate the role of the security institution beyond its primary responsibility, you also have consequences that will come with that that may not be palatable. But that’s where we are because most Nigerians don’t trust the police.
“They will still come and beg governor, governor, please, can you ask the brigade commander to put a roadblock in my area. And these are ordinary citizens insisting that we should put… and you can’t put military roadblocks everywhere. It’s not possible how many do we even have.”
Hinting on the cost of military operations in most states, he said, “But if you engage the military, in civil authority in your state, is only responsible of you to pay for the rations of the men that are engaged in that activity and not expect to have the military also share that burden because that’s not their primary responsibility.
“You’ve taken them out of their primary responsibility; you have to pay for it. So, we pay for that, we pay for civil defense, there is no security institution that you have that states are not responsible for more than the federal government that has primary responsibility for them.”
On why the governors were reluctant to allow local government autonomy to ensure that they play a role in security, he said, “You know, I just talked about multi-level policing. I have no objection to local authority playing a role in local security.
“But the debate about local government autonomy is a different debate. You don’t want us to get into it here because I have my views.
“We have a position in the governors’ forum on it. And it does not suggest that local government autonomy is precisely the way people put it. The principle of federalism is very clear about federating unit.
“Local government, as a federating unit is a unique innovation in Nigeria, I don’t see it in any research work, in any book on federalism. Local government autonomy is the business of the state because the state is the federating unit.
“And most federating countries that you have today have dual federating system. You have the federal and you have the state.
“So, those who are clamouring for local government autonomy is a populist demand, is very exciting to talk about it.
“But I don’t think ultimately it serves the purpose that they want it to serve because we have capacity challenges at that level just as we have at the state level. But the result is what you matter.
“And the result is that you can have Security Council in the local authority. We have in my state, the local government has Security Council almost every month, and they get involved in our security operations. So, it is what they do, it is not the name they are called, that should matter.”
The Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Prof. SonniTyoden, who represented the governor, added that “the existence of vigilantes is an aspect of multi policing. But we have not been able to get the best out of the situation, because the vigilantes have not been really treated as part of the security structure we operate. And I think that’s what we need to do. The existence of these vigilante groups, are manifestations of the disenchantment with the existing security apparatus. And I think if we modelled the vigilantes properly, incorporate them into the security structure, I think we will get something better out of it.”
Political counsellor, British High Commission, Jonathan Bacon, said addressing these security issues was essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and for achieving economic growth and development.
The Director General, CDD, Dr Jubril Ibrahim, noted that the country has not had it so bad in terms of insecurity.
He said: “Our country is at its most terrible level, currently. We have never had it so bad; lots of efforts, lots of ideas are being placed on the table. At our level at the CDD, we are engaged in research to discover what are the real dynamics of this insecurity at the level of the grassroots? What are the actors doing? What are the actors saying? And how are other Nigerians interpreting what is being said and what is being done? It’s because of that we feel partnership with the governor’s forum is extremely important in trying to forge a policy path that will lead us towards confronting in a more adequate manner, these insecurities we are facing.”
The Nigerian Air Force has approved a major shake-up of its senior leadership, involving fresh appointments and postings across its operational commands, strategic institutions and Defence Headquarters.
The exercise, approved by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, on November 7, 2026, is aimed at strengthening command effectiveness, enhancing institutional capacity and sustaining operational readiness.
In a statement yesterday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the appointments covered Service Headquarters, operational commands, training institutions and other strategic establishments.
The statement partly read, “The NAF has approved a major strategic realignment of its senior leadership through a fresh round of postings and appointments designed to strengthen command effectiveness, enhance institutional capacity and sustain operational readiness in support of national security objectives.
“The exercise, approved by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, on 7 November 2026, takes effect from November 2026.
“The appointments span Service Headquarters, operational commands, Defence Headquarters, training institutions and other strategic establishments, reflecting a deliberate effort to align leadership competencies and professional experience with the Service’s evolving operational and institutional priorities.”
At the NAF Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal AK Ademuwagun was appointed Chief of Transformation and Innovation, while AVM IV Ajiboye became Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation.
Other appointments include AVM PN Amadi as Chief of Air Intelligence; AVM NN Ananaba as Chief of Operations; AVM AH Bakari as Air Provost Marshal; AVM EE Efiom as Chief of Training; and AVM AJ Laoye as Chief of Aircraft Engineering.
The Air Force also appointed AVM NI Ilo as Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command; AVM BR Mamman as AOC, Mobility Command; AVM OS Ogunsina as AOC, Logistics Command; AVM MN Onyebashi as AOC, Special Operations Command; and AVM FCS Nwakara as AOC, Ground Training Command.
At the institutional level, AVM PB Philips was appointed Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, while AVM MC Ekwueme became Commandant of the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre.
Similarly, AVM AO Akinbunwa was appointed Commandant of the Air Force War College, while AVM OC Ubadike became Commandant of the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Other appointments include AVM AI Sambo as Commandant of the Nigerian Air Force College of Logistics and Management, and AVM M Yusuf as Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
At the Defence Headquarters, AVM UK Abdullahi was appointed Director of Defence Operations, while AVM EOE Ebiowe was posted to the Office of the National Security Adviser as Deputy Coordinator, National Intelligence.
Also, AVM DDG Pwajok was appointed Director of Technical Services at the Defence Intelligence Agency, while AVM I Sani became Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence.
Other senior officers were posted to various directorates at the Defence Headquarters, including operations, military strategy, cyber operations, civil-military relations, search and rescue, special duties and joint warfare doctrine.
The appointments also affected the Defence Space Administration, where AVM AA Suleh was named Deputy Chief, while AVM OA Oyename and AVM SS Lazarus were appointed Directors of Earth Observation and Launch Vehicles and Space Operations, respectively.
Furthermore, AVM GI Jibia was appointed Deputy Force Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, while AVM JI Ukeh became Commander of the Nigerian Air Defence Corps.
The statement said the exercise was part of efforts to strengthen leadership renewal, institutional accountability and operational effectiveness across the service.
According to the CAS, the professional competence and wealth of experience of the newly appointed officers would advance his command philosophy and strengthen the Air Force’s capacity to deliver decisive airpower effects in support of joint operations and national security objectives.
“All affected officers are expected to assume their new appointments and complete the necessary handover and takeover formalities on or before November 13, 2026,” the statement concluded.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Government to disclose details of the funding, implementation and administration of its N50,000 National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention.
The organisation asked the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, to provide information on beneficiary selection, payments, contracts with digital financial service providers and safeguards against political interference.
SERAP made the demand in a Freedom of Information request dated November 7, 2026, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The request followed the ministry’s October 30 announcement of the NERSI programme, which is intended to provide N50,000 in financial assistance to vulnerable Nigerians.
SERAP said important questions remained unanswered about the programme’s total funding, geographical coverage, duration and the methodology for selecting beneficiaries from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
It urged the minister to disclose budgetary allocations, funds released and expended, eligibility criteria, beneficiary verification processes and the geographical distribution of recipients.
The organisation also asked the ministry to clarify whether the N50,000 assistance was a one-off payment or a monthly intervention, noting that the ministry’s public statement described it as a monthly payment, while a subsequent frequently asked questions document did not clearly specify the frequency or duration.
In the request, SERAP said, “Nigerians have a right to know how public funds allocated to NERSI are being spent, who is receiving the assistance, how beneficiaries are selected and whether the programme is reaching those most in need.”
The organisation raised concerns about possible political interference in the programme, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Publicly funded social assistance must be allocated strictly on the basis of genuine need and objective eligibility criteria. It must not be used to reward political supporters, secure partisan loyalty, finance political mobilisation or influence the electoral choices of vulnerable Nigerians, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections,” it said.
SERAP further insisted that beneficiaries should not be required to attend political rallies, support candidates or display political materials as a condition for receiving the assistance.
“Beneficiaries must not be required or encouraged to attend political rallies, support political parties or candidates, display political materials or demonstrate political loyalty as a condition for receiving assistance. NERSI is a government programme funded with public resources, not a personal gift or political benefit from any office-holder or political party,” the organisation stated.
It also urged the minister to publicly invite the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to monitor the programme’s implementation and expenditure, investigate allegations of corruption and help ensure that funds reach intended beneficiaries.
SERAP expressed concern over reports that some Nigerians who received notifications of the N50,000 assistance had been unable to access or withdraw the funds, while others reportedly received messages indicating that they were ineligible.
“These reports raise questions about the accuracy of beneficiary verification, the reliability of payment arrangements and the effectiveness of mechanisms for resolving failed or disputed payments,” it said.
The organisation urged the ministry to investigate the complaints, publish its findings and ensure that all eligible beneficiaries received the assistance.
It also asked the government to disclose agreements with the digital financial service providers engaged to administer the payments, including ALAT, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
SERAP requested details of the providers’ roles, fees and performance, as well as information on how beneficiaries’ personal data would be protected.
“The use of the National Social Register and national identity records to identify beneficiaries must be governed by clear rules and appropriate data-protection safeguards. The Ministry should disclose how these records are being used and ensure that beneficiaries’ personal information is protected, while making anonymised and aggregated information available for public scrutiny,” it said.
The group further asked the ministry to publish anonymised information showing the number of beneficiaries and the amounts paid or scheduled for payment in each state and local government area.
It also sought records of any involvement of political actors in beneficiary selection, payments, access to beneficiary databases and the use of public resources to promote the programme.
To strengthen accountability, SERAP cited concerns raised by the Auditor-General of the Federation in the 2024 Annual Report regarding more than N78.8bn in public funds allegedly diverted or unaccounted for in the administration of social intervention and cash transfer programmes.
It also referred to concerns over N33.751bn in cash transfers made in 2023 for which relevant REMITA records and other supporting documents were reportedly not provided for audit.
“These findings underscore the importance of adequate financial controls, proper record-keeping, independent verification and effective oversight from the outset of the new intervention,” SERAP said.
The organisation said the information requested would enable Nigerians to assess whether the programme was reaching eligible beneficiaries and whether public funds were being properly accounted for.
It added, “Disclosure would also strengthen public confidence in social protection programmes and help ensure that resources intended for vulnerable Nigerians are used for their intended purposes.”
SERAP gave the minister seven days from receipt or publication of the letter to provide the requested information and take the proposed measures.
It warned that it would consider legal action to compel the ministry and other relevant authorities to fulfil their constitutional and statutory obligations if they failed to respond within the stipulated period.
The Presidency has dismissed as misleading claims that President Bola Tinubu borrowed ?120 trillion in just three years while also removing the fuel subsidy.
In a statement posted on X yesterday, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, described the figures as the product of “Opposition’s propaganda machines.”
He said the claim that 16 past Nigerian leaders borrowed a combined ?46 trillion over 63 years, while Tinubu borrowed ?120 trillion in three years, does not reflect the full picture.
“Opposition’s propaganda machines claim that in 63 years, 16 past Nigerian leaders borrowed ?46 trillion combined, while President Tinubu borrowed ?120 trillion in just 3 years and still removed the fuel subsidy.
“But in reality, the ?46 trillion figure from late 2022 hid ?22.7 trillion in Central Bank ‘Ways and Means’ overdrafts that weren’t officially put on the books until May 2023,” Olusegun stated.
He added that earlier calculations converted foreign debt using an artificial exchange rate of ?448 to $1, when the street value was over ?700.
“When the exchange rate was unified in June 2023, the exact same dollar debt instantly looked ?13.4 trillion larger on paper overnight without a single new dollar being borrowed.”
In actual dollar terms, he said, Nigeria’s public debt rose from $113.4 billion in June 2023 to $120.9 billion by June 2026 — an increase of only $7.5 billion.
On the fuel subsidy, Olusegun noted that its removal had boosted monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee funds shared to states and local governments from ?656 billion in April 2023 to ?2.4 trillion by September 2026.
The claims being rebutted originated from a viral social media graphic that compared cumulative borrowing under previous administrations with the Tinubu government’s record and highlighted the subsidy removal.
Fact-checkers have described the graphic as misleading because the ?46 trillion figure represented outstanding debt at the end of 2022 rather than total borrowing by 16 leaders over 63 years, and because it did not adequately account for exchange-rate effects or the formal recognition of previously off-book obligations.
Nigeria’s total public debt stood at approximately ?87.38 trillion (about $113.4 billion) in June 2023, shortly after Tinubu took office.
By June 2026 it had risen to about ?166.79 trillion ($120.93 billion), according to Debt Management Office figures.
A large part of the naira increase stemmed from the 2023 naira float and the securitisation of Ways and Means advances inherited from the previous administration.
The latest rebuttal comes after Tinubu asked the Senate to approve the implementation of a $7.7bn external borrowing plan to part-finance the 2026 budget deficit.
The request, which translates to about N10.79tn at the budget exchange rate of N1,400 to the dollar, was conveyed in a letter read by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during Wednesday’s plenary.
The request replaced an earlier approval for $20.52bn and €1.045bn borrowings that the President had asked the Senate and the House of Representatives for a week earlier.
However, opposition parties, including the Nigeria Democratic Congress, criticized the request, citing concerns about the country’s rising debt burden and its implications for future generations.
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