Dual-Year Funding: Senate Greenlights ₦403 Billion for Nigeria Police Trust Fund
In a swift legislative move to combat widespread banditry, terrorism, and regional instability, the Senate has approved a combined allocation of ₦403 billion spanning two concurrent fiscal years for the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (NPTF). The upper legislative chamber broken down the funding as follows:
- 2025 Fiscal Year: ₦170 billion approved.
- 2026 Fiscal Year: ₦233 billion approved (covering personnel costs, capital projects, and critical infrastructure upgrades).
Appearing live on Arise News Daybreak, Dr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, a retired Commissioner of Police and former Force Public Relations Officer, welcomed the financial injection but emphasized that money alone cannot solve structural deficiencies. He noted that the central federal police framework has historically choked under a mix of low funding, poor motivation, substandard operational gear, and a severe deficit in public trust.
The State Policing Blueprint: Dr. Ojukwu's Core Evaluation
While acknowledging that Nigeria has finally "put its money where its mouth is" regarding decentralization, Dr. Ojukwu raised critical structural alarms about the speed, timing, and execution of the proposed State Policing Bill.
1. The Peril of a "Rushed" Transition
The swift progression of the bill through the National Assembly without comprehensive public hearings risks isolating the civilian population. Ojukwu asserted that effective policing must be executed with the people, not just for them. Moving directly into execution without public input undermines institutional legitimacy from day one.
2. Weaponization by Political Actors
With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, there is a high structural risk that state governors will convert local law enforcement personnel into partisan foot soldiers or private militias. To prevent this, individual states must pass rigid localized legislation setting transparent boundaries on executive overreach and operational limits.
3. The Holistic Justice Link
Reforming the police force without addressing the downstream failures of the judiciary and corrections system is fundamentally flawed. While the removal of correctional services from the Exclusive Legislative List allows states to build prisons, very few have invested the capital to do so, leaving a severely fractured criminal justice pipeline.
The Standardization Mandate: Dr. Ojukwu strongly cautioned against varying the core operational standards based on a state's wealth. Nigeria’s 40+ existing police training institutions must be utilized to maintain a singular, uniform standard of justice. The procedure for investigating a crime in Kogi State must mirror the exact human rights and legal protocols practiced in Anambra State.
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