Terrorists
BY FROTNLINE REPORTERS
Thousands of communities across Nigeria have been left without effective police presence following repeated attacks on police stations by terrorists, bandits and other armed groups, investigations by Frontline Reporters have revealed.
The growing security vacuum has exposed residents in several states to kidnappings, killings and violent attacks, forcing many communities to rely on vigilantes, hunters and local security outfits for protection.
Findings showed that in states including Zamfara, Sokoto, Anambra, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Kwara and Imo, several police formations have either been destroyed, abandoned or severely understaffed after sustained assaults by criminal groups.
In Zamfara State alone, community leaders said more than 1,000 communities currently lack police stations or security outposts. Residents lamented that bandits now operate openly in many rural areas due to the absence of security personnel.
A senior police officer in the state, who spoke anonymously, admitted that security operatives were overwhelmed by the scale of attacks and inadequate manpower.
“Our personnel are overstretched and poorly equipped compared to the bandits, who often attack in large numbers,” the officer said.
In Sokoto State, several vulnerable communities reportedly lost police outposts after repeated attacks by armed groups. Residents of affected areas warned that criminals had become more emboldened due to the absence of nearby security formations.
Similar concerns were raised in Anambra State, where some police stations destroyed during attacks by gunmen between 2021 and 2024 are yet to be rebuilt. Residents in communities such as Lilu and Ajali said they now depend largely on vigilantes and local security outfits for protection.
In Kaduna and Plateau states, residents said repeated attacks had weakened police presence in many rural communities, leaving villagers exposed for hours before security operatives could respond to distress calls.
Communities in parts of Niger and Kwara states also described police stations as frequent targets during attacks by terrorists seeking to steal weapons and weaken local security operations.
Security experts warned that the collapse of grassroots policing across many communities could worsen insecurity nationwide if urgent reforms were not implemented.
A former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ambrose Jonathan, called for increased recruitment, improved logistics and stronger collaboration between security agencies and local communities.
Another security analyst, Kabiru Adamu, warned that prolonged dependence on vigilantes and informal security groups could create additional security and human rights concerns in the future.
Residents in many affected communities said they had no option but to organise local vigilante patrols as attacks continued amid limited police presence.
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