Author(s) :

OBASI Asoh.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, driven by kidnapping, banditry, insurgency, and farmer-herder violence, has exposed the chronic failure of the constitutionally centralised Nigeria Police Force, characterised by delayed response, poor local intelligence, and eroded public trust. This study critically examines regional policing as a potential remedy, using Operation Amotekun (2020–2025) as a single critical case. Employing a qualitative-dominant mixed-methods design, the research analyses legal texts, official reports, crime statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics and independent monitors, perception surveys, and human rights documentation through thematic analysis, descriptive statistics, and process-tracing. Findings reveal that Amotekun produced dramatic reductions in kidnapping (from 243 cases in 2019 to an estimated 30–35 in 2025), halved regional homicide rates, virtually eliminated mass highway abductions, and restored public confidence from 31 % to 74 % in the South-West, far outperforming zones without similar structures. These gains stemmed from local recruitment, rapid-response capabilities, and community intelligence networks. However, persistent legal ambiguity, documented human rights violations, funding instability, political instrumentalisation, and jurisdictional friction with federal agencies severely limit the model’s sustainability. The study concludes that while Amotekun proves the superiority of decentralised policing in Nigeria’s context, it is not a panacea. It recommends urgent constitutional amendment to establish properly regulated state police services with independent oversight, equitable federal funding, and mandatory professional standards to transform Nigeria’s broken security architecture. Keywords: Amotekun, Regional Policing, Insecurity, Decentralised policing, State police.

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