Before the deadline for state police bill

The Presidency has set a September 3 deadline for the submission of the Executive Bill to President Bola Tinubu as part of efforts to overhaul the nation’s policing system. According to the government, the proposed National Policing Bill will provide the framework for the establishment of a dual federal-state policing system. The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, headed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has provided a seven-week timeframe for submission of inputs from stakeholders and the public before being transmitted to the National Assembly. 

The seven-week roadmap for the National Policing System, which commenced on July 27, will end on September 14. The committee will use the seven-week timeline for simultaneous legal drafting, policy research, data analysis and implementation modelling. The committee’s chairman reiterated the federal government’s commitment to decentralised policing that would not undermine the unity of the country or the rule of law, stressing that “state police cannot mean 36 state militias.”

Notably, Gbajabiamila described the exercise as one of the Tinubu administration’s most far-reaching institutional reforms. He expressed optimism that the proposed state police system is backed by a comprehensive legal framework capable of seamless implementation. “The resulting Executive package is scheduled for presentation to the President on September 3. Subject to approval, a national consultation on the completed draft will follow before the Bill is transmitted to the National Assembly,” Gbajabiamila stated.

The committee has also provided a dedicated portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, for the public to send their inputs on the proposed state policing system. This will enable Nigerians, civil society organisations, professional bodies, security institutions and other stakeholders to send their memoranda and position papers on dual policing system.

We laud the Gbajabiamila-led committee on creation of dual policing system and the efforts it has made so far to ensure that state police comes into existence. Many Nigerians believe that state police will strengthen the nation’s security architecture to tackle the nationwide security challenges. While we appreciate the urgency to establish the new policing template, we urge for more haste and less speed. We say this to ensure that the work of the committee is thorough and free from avoidable mistakes that may take more time to correct.

Perhaps this is why the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) has warned against “a rushed constitutional amendment to create state police.” The religious body also urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to consult widely before taking a final decision on the proposed police reform. The Council, which argued that state police should not be presented as a quick or magical solution to Nigeria’s security challenges, said the country’s security failures stem largely from inadequate funding, corruption, insufficient personnel, poor welfare of security operatives, weak intelligence, obsolete equipment and ineffective coordination.

Moreover, the July 27 to September 14 timeframe for stakeholders and the public to send their inputs to a dedicated portal is not enough. Beyond this window, there is need for town hall meetings across the 36 states and the 774 local governments. This will enable a more robust engagement with Nigerians on the dual policing system.

The most critical argument against state police is the abuse by state governors and other political actors. We hope that the committee will provide the safeguards against the abuse of the dual policing system. In addition to what the committee might have in mind on how to check the excesses of the governors, we call for a commission that will oversee state police. This commission will be responsible for the appointment of commissioners in charge of state police in each state, recruitment and welfare of state police personnel.

While the composition of each state police will be made mostly of indigenes of that state, we suggest that non-indigene residents in each state should be considered for recruitment. This will also ensure inclusive policing and avoid making state police to look like “36 state militias,” earlier alluded to by Gbajabiamila.

The dual policing system might not work effectively without strong community policing system. The community police will be in charge of the 774 local governments and ensure that all ungoverned spaces, including forests and farms, are secure. Above all, the emphasis should be on recruitment of Nigerians of good character with the stipulated level of education and other requirements into the state police.

Persons with criminal records should not be part of the envisaged state police. The personnel of state police should be adequately trained and remunerated. In fact, the President should also enhance the salaries of police personnel. This will boost their morale and make them more dedicated to the job.