15/04/2026
🏛️ A LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE BY HON. JOSEPH IFEANYI UMEH
ADC Candidate | Orumba North State Constituency | Anambra State House of Assembly 2027
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Anambra State Private Security Companies Bill, 2026
A Proposal for a Safer, More Secure and More Prosperous Anambra State
OUR PROMISE
If elected to represent Orumba North Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, one of my first legislative priorities will be to sponsor and champion the passage of the Anambra State Private Security Companies Law. This document explains what that law will do, why it is needed, and how it will benefit every resident of our great state.
THE PROBLEM: ANAMBRA IS UNDER THREAT 🚨
Our beloved Anambra State (the Light of the Nation) is facing a security crisis costing us lives, livelihoods, and investor confidence.
The facts are stark:
🔴 Ransom Paid (2023-24): N350.2 million — Anambra paid the HIGHEST ransom compliance rate in all of Nigeria; 87.6% of all amounts demanded by kidnappers
🔴 46 victims abducted in just 29 kidnapping incidents in a single year in Anambra alone
🔴 N85.4 billion in total ransom paid across the SouthEast in one year (NBS, 2024)
🔴 2.23 million kidnapping incidents reported nationally in just 12 months
🔴 Police-to-citizen ratio of 1:590 is far below the UN recommended 1 per 450 citizens
Our police force is stretched thin. Our businesses are relocating. Our families live in fear. This cannot continue. We need a bold, practical, legally sound solution and that is exactly what this Bill provides.
THE SOLUTION: A REGULATED PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY 💡
Around the world, countries facing similar challenges have turned to a well regulated private security sector to fill the gaps public law enforcement cannot cover alone.
The global private security market is now worth over $247 billion annually and employs more than 25 million people worldwide.
South Africa's PSIRA Act transformed thousands of unaccountable guards into a licensed profession that reduced crime and created jobs. Kenya did the same in 2016.
Nigeria's federal framework; the Private Guard Companies Act of 1986, is 40 years old and no longer fit for purpose.
Anambra State can lead the way for the entire South-East by passing a modern private security law tailored specifically to our needs.
WHAT THE BILL WILL DO FOR ORUMBA NORTH AND ALL OF ANAMBRA ✅
1. CREATES A STATE LICENSING BODY
✔ Chaired by a retired senior police officer; includes Police, DSS, NSCDC and Agunechemba representatives
✔ Issues and revokes licences, investigates complaints, enforces standards of conduct
✔ Publishes annual public accountability reports to the House of Assembly
2. INTRODUCES 5 SPECIALIST LICENCE CATEGORIES
✔ Category A — General Security: guards, patrols, access control
✔ Category B — Estate Security: gated communities, residential compounds, 24/7 surveillance
✔ Category C — VIP Protection: close protection for executives, traditional rulers and officials
✔ Category D — Anti-Kidnapping: threat assessment, prevention, police liaison during incidents
✔ Category E — Emergency Response: rapid-response units with GPS-tracked vehicles
3. MANDATES COOPERATION WITH POLICE, DSS, NSCDC AND AGUNECHEMBA
✔ Every licensed company must sign a Cooperation Agreement with all four agencies
✔ Real-time GPS tracking of emergency vehicles accessible to Police Command Centre
✔ All kidnapping intelligence must be immediately reported to the Commissioner of Police
✔ Quarterly joint security exercises between private companies and statutory agencies
4. PROTECTS CITIZENS FROM ABUSE BY SECURITY OPERATIVES
✔ Strict Code of Conduct: extortion, assault and unlawful detention are criminal offences
✔ Civil and criminal liability for any operative who violates a citizen's rights
✔ Independent Complaints and Disciplinary Committee open to all residents
✔ PSCs cannot conduct hostage rescue — that remains exclusively with the Nigeria Police Force
5. CREATES JOBS AND GENERATES REVENUE FOR ANAMBRA STATE
✔ Estimated 20,000 to 30,000 new formal security jobs in Anambra State
✔ Licensing fees paid into the State Consolidated Revenue Fund
✔ Attracts corporate investment by providing certified, credible security infrastructure
✔ Brings hundreds of informal security operators into the formal, taxable economy
IS THIS BILL CONSTITUTIONAL? ⚖️
Yes, and here is why: The Bill does NOT create a police force, which would violate Section 214(1) of the 1999 Constitution. It creates a commercial regulatory regime for private security businesses and it's fully within the State House of Assembly's legislative powers under Section 4(6) and 4(7) of the Constitution.
It works alongside and not against the federal framework, requiring companies to first obtain their NSCDC federal licence before seeking state registration.
This is the same approach used by the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025.
WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT THIS LAW? ⚠️
Today, hundreds of private security companies operate in Anambra State with no state oversight, no training standards, no background checks on their armed personnel, and no accountability when things go wrong. This means:
⚠️ Armed individuals with unknown backgrounds deployed in our estates and beside our VIPs
⚠️ Kidnapping victims receive no coordinated professional support during the most critical hours
⚠️ A lucrative security industry generates no tax revenue for our state
⚠️ Abuse by security operatives goes uninvestigated and unpunished
⚠️ Anambra remains one of the most insecure states in the South-East, deterring investors and jobs
🗳️ SUPPORT JOSEPH IFEANYI UMEH/ ADC/ ORUMBA NORTH
FOR SECURITY | FOR JOBS | FOR ACCOUNTABILITY | FOR ANAMBRA 2027
Representation That Delivers: From Promise to Performance!
This Bill is not just a political proposal, it is a detailed, legally researched, fully drafted piece of legislation ready for introduction to the House of Assembly from Day One of my tenure. It represents my commitment to come prepared, serve with substance, and deliver real change for the people of Orumba North and all of Anambra State.