Real estate developer and housing policy expert, Kunle Ilori-Diamond, has urged the Federal Government to prioritize better housing for police officers, warning that poor living conditions could undermine national security and foster corruption within the Force.
Speaking during a policy intervention on police housing, Ilori-Diamond noted that officers living in overcrowded, informal, or unsecured accommodations are highly vulnerable to criminal influence, coercion, and financial pressures — factors that could compromise professional integrity.
“A police officer living in informal or overcrowded housing faces risks that threaten personal safety and institutional integrity. They are more exposed to surveillance, coercion by landlords, neighbors, and criminal networks, and financial stress that can lead to inducement,” he said.
Ilori-Diamond lauded the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, for engaging the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) on affordable housing schemes, stressing that where officers live directly affects their ability to police effectively.
He, however, warned that previous housing initiatives failed because they were based on rank rather than income, making them inaccessible to junior officers.
“Past schemes treated housing as a privilege of rank, not a functional welfare system. Uniform house prices and mortgage terms ignored income differences, effectively excluding lower-ranking officers,” he said.
The expert advised that new housing schemes should align allocations and repayment terms with officers’ earning capacities to ensure inclusivity.
He recommended long-term, low-interest mortgage products, payroll-deducted repayments, and cooperative-based housing structures to reduce default risks and ensure participation across all ranks.
Ilori-Diamond also called for decentralized housing development in emerging urban corridors, warning that concentrating police housing in high-cost city centers would exclude junior officers and undermine morale.
He further stressed that officers leaving service without homeownership constitute a latent security risk, as post-retirement housing insecurity could expose them to exploitation and compromise their integrity.
Ilori-Diamond urged that police housing be recognized as a critical national security infrastructure rather than a welfare benefit, calling on the Presidency, National Assembly, and relevant agencies to provide policy, legislative, and budgetary support for sustainable housing solutions.
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