Nigeria cannot defeat insecurity without funding police oversight, PSC warns

By : Sodiq Omolaoye

Date: 29 December 2025 9:21am WAT

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The Police Service Commission (PSC)

The Police Service Commission (PSC)

Despite massive spending on policing, Nigeria remains insecure because accountability and oversight have been pushed to the margins of the country’s security governance, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has warned.

The Secretary to the Commission, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, said lasting security cannot be achieved through firepower alone, adding that weak oversight erodes discipline, professionalism and public trust in law enforcement.

Nnamani spoke in Abuja at the public presentation of the book, Police Service Commission and Police Accountability in Nigeria, authored by a retired Director in the Commission, Anuli Elfreda Okoli.

The book presentation formed part of activities marking Okoli’s retirement after 30 years of service, her 60th birthday, and her contribution to discourse on police accountability in Nigeria.

He noted that a nation is secured not by the number of weapons it deploys, but by how effectively it controls the use of force.

Nnamani described the Police Service Commission as a constitutional body established under Section 153(1) of the 1999 Constitution to oversee police discipline, appointments and accountability, warning that its mandate has been weakened by poor funding and institutional neglect.

While faulting the contradiction in Nigeria’s security priorities, he pointed out that while governments approve huge allocations for policing, running into trillions of naira, institutions responsible for oversight and reform are left under-resourced.

According to him, the consequences of a weak Police Service Commission are evident in Nigerians’ daily encounters with law enforcement, and police accountability cannot be fragmented or treated as a shared, undefined responsibility.

He said, “One of the hard truths this book confronts is the contradiction in our budgeting priorities. We live in a time of insecurity, and rightly so, the nation responds by approving massive allocations for policing, budgets running into trillions of Naira. Yet, when it comes to funding the institutions responsible for oversight, discipline, and reform, we suddenly become reluctant and uninterested.

“This should worry us. Because when oversight is weak, discipline breaks down. When discipline breaks down, professionalism suffers. And when professionalism suffers, public trust, with the crucial legitimacy factor that it carries, disappears. Security without accountability may look strong in the short term, but in reality, it is simply instability waiting to return.

“The consequences of a weak Police Service Commission are not theoretical. Nigerians feel it on the streets, in police stations, and in their daily interactions with law enforcement. This book makes one thing clear: accountability in policing cannot be scattered. Police discipline cannot be everybody’s job and nobody’s responsibility.

He explained that the PSC is not a decorative institution but a central pillar of democratic policing, saying that constitutional provisions without operational strength amount to little more than moral poetry.

Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu (Rtd.), represented by DIG Taiwo F. Lakanu (Rtd.), commended Okoli for her professionalism and intellectual contributions, describing the book as a valuable resource for policymakers and security sector practitioners.

In her remarks, Okoli noted that the book was inspired by her hands-on involvement in police oversight, disciplinary processes, and reform initiatives over the years.

She stated that the book is intended to serve as a resource for policymakers, scholars, practitioners, and citizens interested in police governance and accountability.

The book was reviewed by civil society leader, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, and presented by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Amal Pepple, with Chief Ben Okoye serving as Chief Launcher.

Senator Victor Umeh, who chaired the occasion, praised the author for documenting critical institutional experiences in security sector reform.

As part of the retirement ceremony, Award of Service was presented to Okoli by the Honourable Chairman of the Commission in recognition of her meritorious service.

A documentary citation highlighting Okoli’s career trajectory, achievements, and service record was read by a former Director in the Commission, Maurice Archibong.

Beyond her career in the civil service, Okoli used the occasion to signal the beginning of her next chapter. This included the unveiling of the logo for the Beneddette Ezewuzie Legacy Foundation (BEL Foundation), a philanthropic initiative focused on empowerment and social change.

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