*Says Security Challenges Begin in Communities, Not at Federal Level
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Renowned legal practitioner and policy analyst, Dr. M.O. Ubani, SAN, has issued a scathing critique of Nigeria’s ongoing battle against insecurity, arguing that the nation’s persistent security woes stem from the deliberate emasculation of local governments.
In a strongly worded statement released today, Ubani insists that true financial and administrative autonomy for local councils is the “only real solution” to threats like insurgency, kidnappings, banditry, and armed robbery plaguing communities nationwide.
“Nigeria is once again confronted with an alarming resurgence of insecurity, ranging from insurgency to kidnappings especially of schoolchildren banditry, armed robbery, rape, killings of captured victims, and the constant threat of further havoc that has become disturbingly common across the nation,” Ubani began, highlighting how media outlets, expert panels, and public discourse have overflowed with proposed fixes from kinetic military operations to diplomatic overtures and tech-driven surveillance.
Yet, Ubani contends, these efforts are doomed to fail without addressing the root cause: the structural undermining of local governments. “Regardless of how sophisticated or well-funded these strategies may be, Nigeria will continue to struggle with insecurity for as long as local governments remain structurally undermined, politically manipulated, and financially incapacitated, with the active connivance of state actors,” he stated.
The timing of Ubani’s remarks could not be more poignant. Just weeks ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a National Emergency on Insecurity, announcing measures such as recruiting additional security personnel and reallocating police resources away from VIP protection. However, Ubani decried the absence of grassroots empowerment in the package, calling it a “conspicuous omission” that underscores Nigeria’s reluctance to tackle the foundational pillar of security governance.
“Security challenges do not emerge at the federal level, nor do they originate in state capitals. They begin in communities; they take root in neglected neighborhoods; they fester in abandoned rural settlements; and they grow in the shadows of ineffective grassroots administration,” Ubani explained. He pointed to the Constitution’s designation of local governments as the third tier of governance, ideally suited to detect and neutralize threats early. Instead, decades of interference via mechanisms like the State Joint Local Government Account have turned many councils into mere appendages of state governors, diverting funds and imposing top-down projects that ignore local needs.
Ubani dismissed other popular proposals, such as state police, job creation drives, or suspending rural schools, as well-intentioned but incomplete. “How long shall we continue to run from the truth? Any proposal, however innovative, that fails to empower local governments to govern effectively at the grassroots will remain fundamentally insufficient and bound to fail,” he warned.
He painted a grim picture of the consequences: unmaintained rural roads that hinder patrols, absent street lighting fostering crime, and disengaged youth ripe for criminal recruitment. “A local government that cannot maintain rural roads for patrol movement, provide street lighting, support community policing or vigilante services, create youth engagement programs, fund basic surveillance infrastructure, or empower traditional authorities is a local government that has been stripped of its ability to protect its people,” Ubani said. This, he argued, creates “ungoverned spaces” where bandits thrive and kidnappers roam freely.
Despite billions poured into military campaigns, amnesty programs, and intelligence upgrades, Ubani lamented that “the killings and kidnappings persist because Nigeria has consistently treated the symptoms of insecurity while refusing to confront its root cause.” His clarion call? Immediate, unconditional financial autonomy for local governments, enabling them to fund local security outfits, repair infrastructure, and integrate traditional leaders into response efforts.
Ubani referenced the frustrated Supreme Court suit by Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, which sought to enforce this autonomy but was “derailed by politics.” “It raises a troubling question: what kind of nation willingly dismantles its own security foundation during a period of intense and rising national threats?” he asked.
Directing his appeal to President Tinubu, Ubani urged the Federal Government to bypass state interference and channel local funds directly. “The path to a safer Nigeria is neither hidden nor complicated. It begins with strengthening the tier of government closest to the people. In the face of today’s security challenges, anything short of this approach would be inadequate, ineffective, and ultimately dangerous.”
He concluded with a familiar refrain: “I have said before, and I am saying it again: non-functional local government administration breeds insecurity in Nigeria. A word is enough for the wise.”
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