Former Presidents Call For Caution On State Police, Speaker Abass Says Current Policing System Ineffective

By Ayodele Oni

Divergent views were put forward on Monday on the much talked formation of state police as a way out of insecurity in Nigeria.

This was at the National Dialogue on State Policing, organized by the House of Representatives in Abuja.

There have been debate on the proposal to decentralize the current Nigeria Police Force and empower states to create and operate their own policing system police.

The proposal for state police is part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution by the 10th National Assembly.

Former Nigeria’s military Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar called for caution in the design and implementation of the proposed state policing, especially concerning political and state actors.

In his goodwill message, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan stated that the issue of state policing was a settled matter that is “non-negotiable,” adding that the debates should rather be on the structure and operation of the proposed security outfit.

The former president recalled how a security outfit was created in Bayelsa State to complement the federal police in tackling piracy, kidnapping and other crimes that were prevalent in the Niger Delta.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, told the audience that “Let me state categorically that the House and indeed the National Assembly does not have a fixed position. Our role is to facilitate a dialogue and generate consensus.”

He pointed out that the emerging challenges have rendered the current unitary policing system under the Nigeria Police Force ineffective, leading to calls for its decentralization by way of having state police.

The Speaker also noted that the current security architecture in Nigeria has been overstretched by the numerous security challenges.

Abbas stated: “Our mission here is simple: to deliberate the future of policing in Nigeria, reflecting on our historical context and aligning our actions with the demands of our diverse and dynamic populace and daunting contemporary security challenges that have stretched our existing system to a breaking point.

“The concept of state police involves decentralizing law enforcement functions to the state level, thereby allowing for more localized and responsive policing tailored to the unique needs of each State.

“However, Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution establishes the Nigerian Police Force as unitary police ‘for the Federation or any part thereof.’ However, as noted earlier, evolving security challenges and other institutional and structural challenges have severely affected the general effectiveness of the police.

“As you are mostly aware, this deficit has resulted in the military engaging in policing functions in all States of the Federation, including the FCT.

“In turn, this has also overstretched the armed forces and affected their effectiveness in combatting other broader security challenges, including those that threaten the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

“Some  see the current centralized structure of the police as a negation of ‘true federalism’. Several countries structured as Federations have well-established state, provincial, or regional police that exercise authority over relevant sub-national jurisdictions and collaborate on law enforcement matters with national or federal police, where both exist.

“First and foremost, it is imperative to acknowledge that the push for reforming our police forces is not merely desirable but necessary. We are at a stage where public trust in law enforcement is teetering.

“Also, the burden of policing the vast geographical expanse of our country and a rapidly expanding population warrants a reform of the current structure.

“The need for a system that maintains law and order and upholds every Nigerian’s dignity and rights cannot be overstated. Reform is essential to heal and to build – rebuilding trust, rebuilding effectiveness, and rebuilding our shared commitment to justice.”