A national dialogue on the contentious issue of establishing state police forces in Nigeria has sparked an intense debate, sharply dividing opinion among the country’s top leaders and stakeholders.
The one-day dialogue, organized by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Tuesday, brought together current and former presidents, security chiefs, traditional rulers, and lawmakers to deliberate on the potential restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture.
While some prominent voices like former President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Minister of Police Affairs Ibrahim Gaidam threw their weight behind the idea of state policing, others like the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun vehemently opposed it, warning of its risks and potential for abuse.
Tinubu Calls for Careful Consideration In declaring the dialogue open, President Bola Tinubu urged participants to carefully examine the implications of establishing state police forces, describing it as a potential “milestone” but also a complex issue requiring thorough evaluation.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu reiterated his administration’s “unwavering” commitment to enhancing security across Nigeria through reforms of the central police force. However, he emphasized the need to consider state policing’s impact from multiple angles, including improving emergency response times, addressing local challenges, increasing accountability, ensuring standardized training, oversight, and safeguarding civil liberties.
IGP Warns Against State Police, Cites Risks In a contrasting stance, the Inspector General of Police Egbetokun, represented by an assistant IGP, Ben Okolo, firmly stated that Nigeria is “not ready” and has “not matured” enough for decentralized state police forces.
Okolo cited the potential for abuse of power by state governors, who could exploit state police for “political or personal gain” and compromise human rights. He also raised concerns over jurisdictional conflicts between state and federal law enforcement agencies.
Instead, the IGP proposed merging the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) into the central police force as a department. He also advocated increasing annual police recruitment by 30,000 personnel to meet UN policing standards.
State Police Backed by Jonathan, Others However, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who chaired the dialogue, dismissed the need for further debate on state policing, asserting, “The issue today is not whether to establish state police but how it should be operated.”
Jonathan recalled that the idea of state police and coast guards was already accepted during the 2014 National Conference under his administration. He urged the government to concentrate on managing state police effectively to prevent hijacking by political actors, suggesting reforms to the electoral process to prevent the misuse of police during polls.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, also lent his support, stating that Nigeria should emulate the successful federal-state policing model of the United States. However, he cautioned that any state police force must be insulated from politics, religious extremism, tribalism, and ethnicity, serving as a transparent and accountable law enforcement body.
Minister of Police Affairs Ibrahim Gaidam echoed similar sentiments, advocating for a more decentralized policing system to tackle the nation’s escalating insecurity challenges more effectively.
Traditional Rulers, Others Weigh In The dialogue witnessed a diverse array of perspectives from traditional rulers, religious leaders, and former heads of state.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, passionately urged the National Assembly to expedite the implementation of state policing, stressing the urgency felt by traditional rulers grappling with security concerns in their domains.
Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, offered a more tempered view, suggesting that issues like funding, welfare, and equipment for the central police be addressed before considering state police forces.
Former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar underscored the need for transparency, responsibility, and honesty from state governors to ensure a safe society, while advocating for increased engagement with traditional institutions in maintaining law and order.
High Stakes for Security Reforms As Nigeria grapples with mounting security challenges, from widespread kidnappings and banditry to terrorist threats, the debate over state policing has taken on heightened urgency and significance.
Proponents argue that decentralized state police forces could provide more localized, responsive, and accountable law enforcement tailored to the unique needs of each state. Critics, however, fear the potential for abuse, lack of oversight, and the erosion of federal authority over security matters.
With the House of Representatives spearheading this national dialogue, the deliberations and recommendations emerging from it will likely shape the trajectory of any future legislative action on restructuring Nigeria’s security apparatus.
As the nation weighs the pros and cons, balancing concerns over state control with the pressing need for improved security, the path forward remains fraught with complexities and divergent perspectives from the highest echelons of leadership.
Ultimately, any decision on state police will have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s federal structure, the distribution of power, and the ability to effectively combat the multifaceted security threats confronting Africa’s most populous nation.
Reference
IGP kicks as ex-presidents, others back state police published in Vanguard By Henry Umoru, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Gift Odekina Odekina