Thousands of communities across Nigeria have been left without any police presence as terrorists, bandits, and various armed groups have forced the abandonment of security facilities. Investigations have revealed that a security vacuum exists in at least seven states, leaving millions of residents exposed to violent attacks and kidnappings. Many affected areas now rely on informal security structures such as hunters and vigilantes for survival. Findings indicate that in states like Zamfara, Sokoto, Anambra, and Kaduna, police stations have either been destroyed or left understaffed due to repeated assaults.
In Zamfara State, more than 1,000 communities currently lack security personnel. Garba Sani, a community leader in Maru Local Government Area, stated, “There are currently over one thousand communities in the state living without police stations. The bandits operate even in broad daylight in my village because there is no security presence. We have on several occasions written to the state government, seeking the deployment of security personnel or the construction of a police station in the village, but up till today, nothing has been done,” Similarly, a senior police officer in the state noted that personnel are often outmatched, saying, “Our number is grossly inadequate compared to the bandits, who usually move in hundreds. Our weapons are outdated, and there is no way we can squarely confront these criminals. Most times when they attack, officers are forced to retreat because survival becomes the priority,”
The crisis in Sokoto State has left nearly 100 communities without police outposts. In Anambra State, facilities destroyed by secessionist groups between 2021 and 2024 have remained non-functional. Mazi Uzodike, a community leader in Lilu, remarked, “Our sons and daughters now have to go to the cities whenever they need police attention or intervention, an attention they don’t always get because policemen are afraid of entering rural communities for fear of being attacked.” Catherine Uzor from Ajali community added, “Our police station is not functional in Ajali as it was burnt down during attacks by some agitators, and it has not been rebuilt. We have to travel to the city whenever we need police intervention on certain issues.”
In Plateau State, Bassa Local Government Area resident John Goje described the vulnerability of his community, stating, “When kidnappers attack, we wait for the police to come from Jos or Miango. By the time they arrive, the attackers are gone, and people have already been killed or abducted.” In Kaduna State, youth leader Manasseh Andrew revealed that police left the Awon community three years ago and have not returned. The situation is mirrored in Niger and Kwara states, where terrorists have targeted stations to steal weapons and weaken local resistance.
Reports estimate that over 700 policemen have been killed in Nigeria over the last six years, with dozens of stations overrun. Former Assistant Inspector-General of Police Ambrose Jonathan expressed concern over the situation, stating, “The police are overstretched. Many officers are operating under dangerous conditions with poor logistics. You cannot expect effective policing when officers lack mobility, communication equipment and operational support,” Security expert Kabiru Adamu warned of the long term implications of these ungoverned spaces, saying, “When you weaken grassroots policing, you create ungoverned spaces, and once criminal groups dominate those spaces, rebuilding state authority becomes far more difficult.” He cautioned that prolonged dependence on informal security systems could lead to further abuses and a total collapse of trust in formal institutions.
0 Comments