By Ayodele Oni
Preparatory to the take off of State Police, Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, has constituted the State Advisory Committee to midwife the project.
The governor has also approved the appointment of Olawale Fapohunda, SAN as the Legal and Policy Adviser to the advisory committee.
Fapohunda, is a two term Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti State.
President Bola Tinubu had announced that State Police would come on stream this year and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tunji Disu has set up a committee to work on it.
This appointment is part of the Governor’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the State’s ecurity architecture and align with the national directive for decentralized policing.
The committee, which has been inaugurated by the Governor, is chaired by DIG Habila Joshak (Rtd) and includes a distinguished team of security experts, scholars, and policy practitioners.
The Committee’s mandate include : Review the ongoing 1999 Constitution amendments, the Police Act 2020, and other relevant laws to create a draft ‘Plateau State Police Service Law’ that defines the scope, authority, and limitations of the state police.
“Design the organizational structure of the Plateau State Police, including command hierarchy, interaction with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and jurisdictional boundaries (e.g., local government policing).
” Develop a transparent recruitment policy emphasizing local knowledge and gender inclusion, and design training curricula focusing on intelligence-led policing, human rights, and community policing.
“Propose a sustainable, transparent funding mechanism for the state police that is insulated from political interference to ensure independence.
“Create a robust, independent, and transparent oversight mechanism (e.g., a State Police Service Commission) to investigate misconduct, ensure accountability, and prevent abuse of power.
“Establish protocols for synergy between the state police, traditional institutions, community leaders, and federal security agencies to ensure a unified approach to security.
“Organize public hearings across the 17 Local Government Areas of Plateau State to gather inputs from community leaders, religious leaders, security experts, and civil society to build public trust and buy-in.
“Provide a phased, time-bound implementation strategy for the establishment of the force, including pilot phases.”
“The governor explained that “the appointment of Olawale Fapohunda SAN underscores our commitment to ensuring that the transition toward state policing is guided by the highest standards of legal and policy expertise.
“His deep understanding of constitutional law and justice sector reform will be valuable as we work to build a safer and more secure Plateau State.
“Fapohunda SAN will work closely with the committee to ensure that the proposed framework for the Plateau State Police Service is robust, operationally viable, and respects the fundamental rights of all citizens living on the Plateau.”
Governor Mutfwang reaffirmed that security remains a top priority of his administration, noting that the Administration of Justice Sector Reforms embarked upon by his administration are essential to addressing crime, safety and security challenges and ensuring the long-term prosperity of the state.
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