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By Lawrence Agbo
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has said the creation of state police alone will not solve Nigeria’s security challenges, insisting that broader constitutional reforms are needed to build a sustainable federal security and justice system.
Speaking virtually at the ARISE News Town Hall on State Police, Soludo said the debate over whether Nigeria should establish state police had been settled, adding that attention should now shift to designing an effective framework for its implementation.
“The issue is no longer whether or not to have state police. I think we have gone beyond that. The issue now is how,” he said.
Soludo argued that state policing should form part of wider reforms, including changes to the country’s revenue-sharing formula and judicial system.
“I am afraid this whole issue of state police should not be seen in isolation. It must be viewed within the context of what I call the unfinished business of building a sustainable federal security and justice system,” he stated.
The governor commended the National Assembly for advancing the constitutional amendment on state police and praised President Bola Tinubu for supporting reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s federal structure.
He also stressed the need to equip state police adequately, warning against deploying officers with inferior weapons against heavily armed criminals.
“You cannot send officers carrying inferior weapons to confront criminals armed with AK-47 rifles and General Purpose Machine Guns,” he said.
Soludo further argued that states assuming greater constitutional responsibilities should receive a larger share of federation revenue, proposing that the Federal Government retain no more than 40 per cent of national revenue.
He also called for the establishment of state appellate and supreme courts to speed up the administration of justice, particularly in matters that fall exclusively within state jurisdiction.
According to the governor, the ongoing state police conversation should serve as an opportunity to complete Nigeria’s transition to a more effective federal system through comprehensive constitutional reforms.
