By Adamu Yusuf
The Defence Families Empowerment Foundation (DFEF) has called on the Federal Government to urgently strengthen the Nigeria Police Force through increased funding, specialised training, modern equipment and improved personnel welfare to enhance internal security and reduce the growing burden on the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The Foundation made the call in a press release issued in Kaduna on Monday, November 9, 2026, following recent remarks by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd.), on the increasing pressure on the military arising from prolonged internal security operations and the need for the police to gradually assume greater responsibility for domestic security.
The statement, signed by the Founding Director of DFEF, Mohammed Thompson, maintained that Nigeria needs a professional, adequately funded and well-equipped police force capable of protecting citizens and responding effectively to security threats across the country.
DFEF described the minister’s position as an important conversation about the country’s security architecture, but stressed that transferring greater responsibilities to the police without first addressing its operational and institutional shortcomings could create security gaps that criminal elements might exploit.
Mohammed Thompson noted that the Nigeria Police Force, as the country’s primary civilian law enforcement institution, is constitutionally responsible for maintaining law and order, preventing and investigating crimes, and protecting lives and property.
However, the increasing challenges of kidnapping, armed banditry, organised criminal activities, communal violence and terrorism-related threats require a better-trained, properly equipped and intelligence-driven police force.
The Foundation observed that the military’s prolonged involvement in internal security operations has placed considerable pressure on personnel, equipment, logistics and other operational resources, often requiring soldiers to remain away from their families for extended periods.
It maintained that strengthening the police would enable the Armed Forces to concentrate more effectively on their primary defence responsibilities, while allowing the police to take greater responsibility for routine law enforcement and domestic security operations.
DFEF emphasised that strengthening the police should not be seen as a competition between the two institutions, but as an opportunity to establish a better-coordinated security system in which the military and police complement each other in protecting the country.
To achieve this, the Foundation urged the Federal Government to increase and protect police funding, invest in continuous specialised training, modernise operational equipment and technology, and strengthen intelligence gathering, criminal investigations and inter-agency cooperation.
It also called for improved manpower distribution to ensure adequate police presence in vulnerable communities, rural settlements and highways, alongside better accommodation, insurance, working conditions and other welfare provisions for officers.
The Foundation further stressed the need to strengthen institutional accountability, professional discipline, human rights compliance and public confidence in the police, while ensuring effective collaboration among the police, military, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other relevant security agencies.
It cautioned that any gradual withdrawal of military personnel from internal security operations must be based on credible threat assessments and demonstrable police readiness to avoid creating security vacuums in communities currently dependent on military support.
As part of its recommendations, DFEF proposed the establishment of a National Police Capacity Development Programme with clear funding commitments, implementation timelines and measurable performance indicators to identify operational gaps and monitor investments in training, equipment, infrastructure and personnel welfare.
It also recommended strengthening the Nigeria Police Trust Fund and other appropriate funding mechanisms, with effective oversight to ensure that resources reach the personnel and operational units that need them.
The Foundation encouraged responsible private-sector participation, technology partnerships and collaboration with educational and professional institutions to support police training, digital transformation and institutional development.
DFEF, which is committed to the welfare and development of defence families, said reducing the pressure of prolonged deployments on military personnel would also provide them with greater opportunities for rest, family life and professional development, while enabling them to prepare more effectively for their core defence responsibilities.
The Foundation stressed that internal security was a shared national responsibility and urged the Federal Government to treat police reform and capacity development as a national security priority rather than merely an administrative response to the increasing demands on the military.
Editing by Khadija Kubau
