The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has endorsed the call by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for the establishment of 3,000 new police stations, barracks and correctional facilities nationwide, describing the move as necessary to strengthen Nigeria’s overstretched security architecture.
In a statement issued on Thursday, by the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko. the civil rights group said Nigeria’s current policing infrastructure remains grossly inadequate for a country with over 200 million citizens facing increasing insecurity, rapid urbanisation and mounting population pressure.
HURIWA noted that the disclosure that Nigeria currently operates only about 2,000 police stations nationwide exposes years of institutional neglect that have weakened effective policing, emergency response and community security in both rural and urban areas.
The association, however, warned that constructing new police stations without addressing the Nigeria Police Force’s poor maintenance culture would amount to another round of wasteful public spending.
According to the group, more than 90 per cent of police barracks across the country are currently in deplorable conditions, with many buildings collapsing, overcrowded, poorly ventilated and lacking basic sanitation infrastructure.
HURIWA said many police formations have become environmental and public health hazards, with officers and their families forced to live under conditions “unfit for human habitation” despite the risks attached to policing duties.
The group accused authorities within the police hierarchy of failing over the years to establish sustainable maintenance systems, environmental sanitation policies and structural rehabilitation frameworks capable of preserving public infrastructure.
It argued that the absence of preventive maintenance culture has turned several police barracks into breeding grounds for diseases, environmental pollution and criminal vulnerability.
To address the problem, HURIWA demanded that all future contracts involving police stations, barracks and correctional facilities must include legally enforceable long-term maintenance clauses compelling construction firms and facility managers to maintain such infrastructure for at least 30 years.
The association said such agreements should cover regular structural inspections, sanitation management, drainage maintenance, waste disposal systems, electrical and water infrastructure repairs as well as environmental safety compliance.
HURIWA also called for independent monitoring of future police infrastructure projects by civil society organisations, professional bodies, environmental health authorities and urban development experts to ensure transparency and accountability.
The group further urged the Federal Government to immediately conduct a nationwide audit of existing police barracks and stations to determine their structural integrity and environmental safety.
It warned that buildings found to be unsafe or structurally compromised should undergo urgent rehabilitation or reconstruction to prevent avoidable disasters involving police personnel and their families.
The association maintained that police officers deserve decent living and working conditions capable of supporting professional and effective policing services.
HURIWA added that Nigeria must abandon what it described as the culture of erecting public infrastructure only to allow such projects deteriorate due to corruption, weak supervision and lack of maintenance planning.
HURIWA Backs 3,000 New Police Stations, Demands 30-Year Maintenance Policy
