Monday Ubani, Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Electoral Committee, has called for greater involvement of local government officials in grassroots security management, arguing that community-based policing could strengthen efforts to tackle insecurity across Nigeria.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on June 25, 2026, Ubani weighed in on the debate following the Senate’s passage of the State Police Bill, which seeks to decentralize policing and bring security operations closer to local communities.
Ubani said individuals who live and work within communities are often best positioned to identify security threats because of their familiarity with local environments.
“I know every entry and exit point in my area and can work with security agencies,” he said.
According to him, local leaders possess first-hand knowledge of their communities, including traffic patterns, vulnerable locations, and suspicious activities that may go unnoticed by distant authorities.
He argued that empowering local entities would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen cooperation between residents and security agencies, and enhance crime prevention efforts.
Ubani also noted that many communities already operate informal information-sharing networks that could become more effective if integrated into a broader security framework. He maintained that decentralizing security management would enable faster responses to threats and improve public safety nationwide.
