Nigeria runs a three-tier system: Federal, State, Local Government. All three get a share from the Federation Account monthly. But the federal government still gets blamed most for insecurity.
Here’s why:
Constitution puts security powers at the federal level
The 1999 Constitution lists “Police, Armed Forces, Prisons, Immigration” on the Exclusive Legislative List. Only the federal government can legally run them.
Police: The Nigeria Police Force is a federal body. Governors have no command authority over Commissioners of Police.
Military: Army, Navy, Air Force report to the President through the Minister of Defence.
Local/State governments can’t create state police without a constitutional amendment.
So when kidnappings or bandit attacks happen, people look to the group that actually controls the guns and boots on ground — the federal government.
Federal controls the money and equipment for security
Even though states and LGAs get allocation, security is capital intensive:
Jets, drones, armored vehicles, intelligence systems, ammunition → only the federal government buys and deploys these.
State governments can fund logistics, buy vehicles for police, pay allowances, but they can’t command operations or procure heavy weapons.
When operations fail, it’s seen as a failure of federal procurement and strategy.
Public perception: “Commander-in-Chief” = responsibility
The President is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. In politics, the person at the top gets credit for success and blame for failure.
If the military fails to stop an attack in Zamfara or Benue, the reaction is “What is /Tinubu doing?” not “What is the LGA chairman doing?”
States and LGAs often don’t use security allocation transparently
States get security votes and monthly allocation, but:
Security votes are discretionary and not publicly accounted for.
Many LGAs are not autonomous. States often control LGA funds, so grassroots policing and community security initiatives don’t happen.
When people don’t see local action, they assume the problem is only at the top.
Security is a national spillover problem
Insurgents and bandits don’t respect state boundaries.
Boko Haram moves across Borno, Yobe, Adamawa.
Bandits operate across Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, Kaduna.
Kidnappers on highways affect multiple states.
Coordinating a response across 36 states requires federal leadership. If coordination fails, it looks like federal failure.
Political accountability
It’s easier to blame Abuja than 774 LGAs and 36 states. Federal elections are national, so insecurity becomes a campaign issue. State and LGA elections get less attention, so they escape scrutiny.
The nuance:
The federal government is responsible for the structure of security — police, military, intelligence, national policy.
State governments are responsible for local coordination — supporting police, community engagement, land use, managing farmer-herder conflict.
LGAs are responsible for grassroots intelligence and local vigilance — if they functioned.
In conclusion,Because the federal tier has the constitutional monopoly on force, it gets blamed when the system breaks down at any level
– Benjamin Ibrahim writes from Lokoja, Kogi state.
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