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Piqued by the rising insecurity across the country, the governors of the 19 northern states under the aegis of the Northern Governors Forum (NGF), and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council (NTRC) have called for the establishment of state police. The governors and the monarchs, who made the call at the end of their meeting in Abuja, stated that state police would go a long way in addressing the security challenges in the north and other parts of the country. Besides, it is not in doubt that the country is currently grappling with banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities.
According to the NGF chairman and governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, the meeting reviewed the security situation in the North and other matters relating to its development and resolved to support the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to accommodate the establishment of state police. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State, Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, and Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba State attended the meeting. Others were the deputy governors of Adamawa, Benue, Nasarawa and Jigawa states.
Traditional rulers present included the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, among others. We commend the Northern governors and monarchs for joining other well-meaning Nigerians in attempting to find solution to insecurity. Their call for state police, as a recipe for insecurity, came on the heels of earlier ones by some eminent Nigerians and socio-cultural organisations, including the Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), and Middle Belt Forum (MBF).
Against the backdrop of rising insecurity and criminality in all parts of the country, agitations for the decentralisation of the Nigeria Police Force have been persistent. The proponents of state police believe that it will drastically reduce the festering insecurity in the country. They also point out that the present centralised policing system cannot and will not address the mounting insecurity in the Nigerian federation. They have argued persuasively that it has become practically impossible for the current policing structure to effectively police a country the size of Nigeria from Abuja. The seeming failure of a centralised policing system is very glaring and can no longer be hidden. This is probably why the call for state police is growing and winning new converts across the country. Part of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference was the creation of state police. There is a general consensus that state policing will help reduce the rate of crime in the country. Since every crime is local, having in place a state policing system, will curb insecurity, if well managed and adequately equipped. Being closer to the people, the personnel of state police have the advantage of knowing the terrain and the people as well. At the same time, it makes for prompt response to security matters.
With adequate institutional checks, the fear that state police may be abused will be taken care of. Even the present policing system cannot be said to be immune to such abuses. Considering the obvious shortcomings associated with the contemporary centralised police structure, it is time for state police to be given a chance. In other words, Nigeria can be said to be ripe enough for state and other layers of policing. We support state policing and other levels of policing at local government and even community levels. That is probably the best way to confront the monster of insecurity across the country.
In 2012, as a way of tackling the nation’s security challenges, the 36 state governors called for the establishment of state police. We believe that the governors can work in concert to ensure that state police is established. The establishment of regional security organisations, such as Amotekun in the South West and Ebube-Agu in the South East clearly underlines the imperative of state policing.
We call on the Federal Government to review the rising clamour for state police and give it urgent attention. President Muhammadu Buhari administration can initiate the move before leaving office. Where he fails, the presidential candidates of the political parties for the 2023 elections should see the demand as a top priority. The rising security challenges have made the demand for state police inevitable. It is a call the government must never ignore.
We urge the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly to put in motion necessary legislations that will lead to the establishment of state police. It is an agenda that cannot be postponed any further.
