While the Nigeria Police Force has announced new Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) bases in Adamawa, Cross River, and Ogun States, analysts argue that the initiative overlooks the country’s most pressing terror hot zones, leaving communities in the north-east vulnerable to attacks.
The announcement coincided with the completion of a two-week Close Quarter Battle and Intelligence Analysis training program for 56 CTU officers, organized in partnership with the British High Commission in Nigeria.
Represented by AIG Akoh Gabriel, the IGP emphasized that the training and new bases were part of a broader effort to strengthen operational capacity against terrorism, banditry, and emerging threats.
The IGP also thanked the British Government for sustained support.
However, security analysts and local observers have raised concerns over the strategic choice of states for the new bases. Adamawa, Cross River, and Ogun have seen limited terror activity in recent years compared to regions like Borno, Yobe, and Kaduna, Kwara and Zamfara where attacks by insurgents and bandits remain frequent.
“The focus seems misplaced,” said one Abuja-based security analyst. “Building in relatively calm areas while leaving the north-east exposed may create a false sense of security. Terrorists operate where there’s minimal resistance, not where the police are already concentrated.”
The police also highlighted that the training program exposed officers to modern counter-terrorism tactics, intelligence analysis, and coordinated response practices. Lieutenant Colonel Ian Tyler of the British High Commission commended the participants’ professionalism and urged them to apply the knowledge in the field, reinforcing the UK’s commitment to counter-terrorism support.
Despite these reassurances, communities in the north-east continue to suffer from repeated attacks, raising questions about whether the deployment of personnel to the new bases will tangibly improve security in the areas that need it most.
As the Nigeria Police Force strengthens partnerships and invests in officer capacity, critics insist that strategic priorities must reflect actual threat levels, or else new bases risk becoming symbolic rather than operational solutions to Nigeria’s growing insecurity crisis.
However, Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, revealed that additional CTU personnel would be deployed to strategic operational locations nationwide to enhance rapid response.
