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President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s readiness to create state police to effectively address the security challenges across the country. Tinubu, who made the declaration during a meeting with Katsina elders over the rising spate of insecurity in the state, noted that security challenges in some states would require the deployment of outfits that understand the terrain, the people and the culture.
The call for the creation of state police is not new. Prominent Nigerians, socio-cultural organizations and groups have spoken in favour of state police as a panacea of resolving our current security challenges. For instance, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Middle Belt Forum (MBF) as well as the Northern Governors Forum (NGF), have demanded for creation of state police. The NGF sees the creation of state police as the most effective way to contain the rising spate of insecurity in the country.
Similarly, the National President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, expressed similar concern, when he observed that current policing in Nigeria is not in line with true federalism. On its part, PANDEF said the establishment of state police is long overdue, urging the federal government to order a constitutional amendment to give effect to it. Ohanaeze and Afenifere have severally argued on that line. Security experts also argued that decentralisation of the current police structure could empower states to respond more quickly to security challenges and fashion out strategies to meet local security needs.
The clamour for state police had earlier been endorsed by most of the 36 state governors last years. Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, who disclosed this, said nearly all the states had bought into the proposal, signaling a strong consensus on it. He explained that the states agreed on the creation of state police due to the unique security challenges confronting the regions and the glaring inadequacies in the current national security framework to address them. Sani stated that a decentralised policing system would enable the states evolve security measures in tandem with their peculiar security challenges and needs.
The House of Representatives is considering a bill to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of State Police and related matters. Also, the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have equally endorsed it. They believe that state police will address the mindless killings across the country, especially in Plateau and Benue sates. It will equally address the extra-judicial killings by gunmen and state actors in the South-East and the rising banditry and kidnapping in the North-West. It will check the resurgence of Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.
Due to the rising insecurity and criminality across the country, it has become practically impossible for the current centralized police to effectively protect the people. Moreover, the Nigeria Police Force is challenged by manpower shortage and even overstretched to effectively police the country of over 200 million people. This can explain why the military and other security agencies have been drafted to assist the police in many instances.
No doubt, state police is what we need now to overcome our daunting security challenges. Those arguing against it are being economical with the truth and deluding themselves that centralized policing will perform magic in resolving our intractable security challenges. We support the move to create state police. We urge the President, the governors, federal and state lawmakers to work in concert to create the much-needed state police and make Nigeria safe once again. The dillydallying over the matter is dangerous and unacceptable. Those procrastinating on the matter are not helping matters. They should wake up from their deed slumber and face the reality.
State policing is an idea whose time has come. Since every crime is local, it will take different layers of policing to solve our security challenges as it is the practice in other federations, especially, the United States of America. Nigeria is indeed ripe for at least four layers of policing: federal, state, local government and community. We believe that this arrangement will adequately address our rising security challenges. Apart from domesticating our security system, the people will own the security system and manage it optimally to enhance crime detection and prompt response.
Already, we have security outfits that resemble state police. We have the Hisbah in the North, Amotekun in the South-West and Ebube Agu the South-East. There are equally vigilance groups in other states. The most vehement argument against the state police is the fear of abuse by state governors. That fear is real. Some of our governors can abuse state police just like the federal police can equally be abused by those in power. Therefore, the fear of abuse of state police is not enough to dismiss the idea. What we need is the enactment of adequate laws to check such abuses from any quarter. State police should not be used to intimidate political opponents or critics of governors. Let the President and other stakeholders do the needful and create state police.
