Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has called for the establishment of a dedicated fund for the proposed State Police Service to ensure officers are adequately paid and the system remains sustainable.
Speaking at the National Security Roundtable during the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, Abbas said resolving the issue of funding is critical before state police become operational.
He warned that unpaid officers could become a threat to the citizens they are meant to protect and stressed that no state should establish a police force it cannot sustain.
The Speaker also advocated a phased implementation of state police, saying states should adopt the system gradually rather than launching forces simultaneously across the country.
Abbas added that Nigeria’s size and security challenges require a policing system with stronger local knowledge, while calling for improved intelligence sharing through a modern criminal and biometric database.
