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By Lawrence Agbo
Retired Commissioner of Police and former Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, Dr Emmanuel Ojukwu, has backed the establishment of state police but warned that the proposed system could be manipulated by politicians if adequate safeguards are not put in place.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS, Ojukwu said Nigeria had finally accepted the need for state policing but stressed that the reform must avoid the failures that have weakened the federal police.
“It is good Nigeria has come to terms as regards the need for state policing. It has been brewing over the years, but now we are putting our money where our mouth is,” he said.
Ojukwu identified inadequate funding, poor motivation of personnel, insufficient equipment and weak public trust as key challenges that must be addressed to ensure an effective and accountable state policing system.
He warned that the approach to state policing should not simply replicate the existing structure.
“If all these factors are properly dissected and analyzed, then we can proffer solutions to them, so that what befell the mother elephant will not behold the younger ones,” he said.
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The retired police chief also called for broader public participation in shaping the proposed State Policing Bill, arguing that citizens should have a say in determining the type of police system they want.
“The public need to make inputs as to what they desire of their police. This police is not for them; it is police with them. It belongs to the people, so they must have an input,” he stated.
Acknowledging concerns over the proposed reform ahead of the 2027 general election, Ojukwu cautioned that state police could become political tools if strict legal safeguards were not established.
“The fear is that these people who may form state police personnel are going to be lackeys, agents, and foot soldiers in the hands of political actors. We cannot rule it out,” he warned.
He insisted that every state must enact clear laws defining the powers and limits of its police force, stressing that state police should never become private militias for governors.
“The state police are not to be agents or private militia of governors,” Ojukwu said.
He further advocated comprehensive reforms across the criminal justice system, including the judiciary and correctional services, while calling for standardised training and sustainable funding to ensure state police operate professionally across the country.
