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- Echoes of state police as stakeholders
- Advocate new strategies to curb security challenges
FELIX NWANERI writes on the clamour for state police by some stakeholders given the rising insecurity across Nigeria, which poses a significant threat to the unity and development of the country
There is no doubt that government’s inability to come up with sustainable strategies to confront rising insecurity and violence across the country. From the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the NorthEast geopolitical zone to banditry and kidnapping in the North-West; farmers/herders clash in the North Central; militancy cum oil theft in the South-South and agitation for self-determination in the South-East, the picture about Nigeria is a nation at war with herself.
The Boko Haram insurgency, which is driven by Islamic extremists, has not only claimed thousands of lives and property worth billions of naira, it has equally turned many Nigerians to refugees in their own country. Across the country are camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The crisis has equally crippled economic activities in most north eastern states. In the case of bandits ravaging the North-West; kidnapping for ransom and cattle rustling have become lucrative businesses for them. Activities of these outlaws have equally claimed several lives and impeded educational advancement of youths in the zone.
Similarly, ethnic tension has continued to rise over activities of killer herdsmen across the country. The herders/farmers conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives, is mainly as a result of disputes over land resources between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and mainly Christian farmers. Though the impact of the crisis has been more devastating in the North Central, the herders have also advanced towards the southern part of the country, thereby expanding the frontier.
In the oil-rich but impoverished South-South; oil theft is the order of the day. Several lives have been lost to it, while the environment has continued to suffer degradation. The South-East is not left out of crisis as separatist agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other groups has not only grounded economic activities in the zone but also led to loss of lives and destruction of infrastructure.
While some of these security challenges date back to history, emergence of other existential threats, at a time, prompted some stakeholders to call on Nigerians to take up arms and defend themselves as the Federal Government seemed to have failed to perform its core function of protection of lives and property.
But justifiable as this proposal seemed, some individuals, who warned against the dangers of such measure, recalled how several non-state actors emerged across the country in the name of protecting their respective zones from criminal elements and only for them to transform to self-determination or even terror groups.
While there is no doubt that Nigerians have grappled with security challenges in the past two decades, the situation seems to have assumed a worrisome dimension as seemingly emboldened criminal elements have upscale their attacks on citizens. The states that are worst hit by the renewed killings and kidnappings are Plateau, Benue, Kwara, Kebbi and Niger.
Creation of state police remains a non-negotiable component of our collective demand for true federalism and effective grassroots security
The resurgence of these violent crimes is despite the President Bola Tinubu’s promise in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, to “defend the nation from terror and all forms of criminality that threaten the peace and stability of our country.” Recall that besides the assurance, the President also pledged to effectively tackle the menace by reforming both the security doctrine and architecture.
While President Tinubu has tried several measures, including change of service chiefs, the security situation is yet to improve, with Amnesty International reporting in May that roughly 10,000 people had been killed and many more abducted since the inauguration of his government in May 2023 though the government disputed the figure.
Worsening situation rekindles debate
It is against the backdrop of the worsening security situation that most citizens are of the view that the crisis at hand is a serious one that must be addressed with the speed of light. Those who shared this view, not only criticised the security framework of the Tinubu-led administration, but described it as a failed system that has made killings across the country a recurring tragedy. They called for establishment of state police, which according to them will ensure better security for citizens’ lives and property.
They particularly posited that the nation’s security architecture, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, as presently structured, lack what it takes to effectively tackle the nation’s security challenges. Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which deals with the operation, control, discipline and promotion in the police as well as Item 45 of the Exclusive Legislative List, Part 1 of the second schedule of the same constitution, provide that the Nigeria Police Force shall be under exclusive control of the Federal Government.
It states: “There shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section, no other police force shall be established for the federation or any part thereof.” The constitution, also in section 215 (2) states that “the Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the InspectorGeneral of Police and any contingents of the Nigeria Police Force stationed in a state shall, subject to the authority of the Inspector-General of Police, be under the command of Commissioner of Police of that state.”
This provision, practically takes away the powers of governors, who are the chief security officers of their respective states thereby making it difficult for them to take actions on matters of security without approval of the Federal Government even in times of emergency. This, perhaps, explains why calls for restructuring of Nigeria, which has been in the front burner for some time, has establishment of state-controlled police as part of its demands.
Interestingly, President Tinubu, as governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, was in the vanguard of the clamour at that time for the Federal Government to review relevant sections of the constitution to allow states to establish and maintain their own police forces as practiced in most advanced democracies. He then said that over N12 billion, which the Lagos State government spends annually on the police in the state, was more than enough for the state to float and sustain its own police force. While the then Olusegun Obasanjo-led Federal Government did not heed the call, Tinubu’s successor, Babatunde Fashola, sustained the campaign.
He maintained that opposition to establishment of state police has largely been driven by an exaggerated, misleading and unfounded precedent that focuses more on the abuse of state police through political interference and manipulation rather than its benefits. The debate on state police, however, got to a height in 2012, when the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), under the leadership of the then governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, called on the Federal Government to consider the establishment of state police.
But then President Goodluck Jonathan, who held a contrary view, insisted that Nigeria was not yet democratically ripe for the establishment of state police forces as there is a great likelihood that it would be misused. “State police may be theoretically good, but looking at our political environment, it could be abused to the detriment of the country. The consensus is that we should get to the point, where we will be sure that whoever is in power will not turn it against the people. The first step is for us to have confidence in elections conducted at the state and local government levels,” Jonathan said.
The bid for state police was rekindled in 2017, when the governors set up a committee to look into the possibility of allowing states to establish their own police forces. The committee was headed by the then governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed. Whereas the then chairman of the NGF, Abdulaziz Yari, assured Nigerians that the committee will look at the various options and come up with a safe way of policing Nigeria, not much was heard about the committee afterward
. It was a similar story in 2019, when the umbrella body of governors of the 36 states of the federation toyed with the idea of state police. Then Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues after one of their meetings, said: “Each of the federating units should have control over their own security apparatus.
That is not to say that we still won’t have federal police, which responds to federal issues. But in terms of wider knowledge of what obtains in my locality, the best person to use is somebody from that locality, who has a much better, much richer understanding and will be faster in response to the immediate needs of that environment.”
Nigeria’s central policing structure
The concept of police force stems from the need for protection and enforcement of the law, and the Nigeria Police Force is not an exception. It is the brainchild of the British colonial government and dates back to 1861, following the annexation of Lagos. The British Consul charged with the administration of Lagos established a Consular Guard by the Police Ordinance of 1861 to help maintain law and order.
The imperialist administration followed this up in 1879, with a 1,200 paramilitary Hausa Constabulary. Some years later, it formed the Lagos Police, and in 1894, the Niger Coast Constabulary in Calabar under the authority of Niger Coast Protectorate was established, while the Royal Niger Company set up the Royal Niger Company Constabulary in Lokoja in 1888.
These constabularies were collapsed in the early 1900s into two – the Northern and the Southern Nigeria Police. Although there was an amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914, the two regions maintained their separate police forces until 1930, when they were merged to form the Nigeria Police Force.
The merger is what has grown to become the centralised police system although it is on record that the unified structure co-existed with police forces in the then Western and Northern Nigeria (excluding Eastern Region) until the coup of January 15, 1966 brought the military, which later abrogated the provision in the 1963 Constitution that authorises the establishment of local police.
The then military regime hinged its decision on the assumption that the local police, especially in the Western Region, witnessed mass recruitment of party thugs, while in the North, it was a case of oppression of political opponents. It is on record that the Native Authority Police not only earned notoriety for using undue coercion and intimidation to enlist support for the ruling parties in the respective regions, it denied opposition parties permits for rallies and generally enforced the obnoxious an ‘unlawful assembly’ law.
Arguments for and against
While many are of the view that Nigeria is still not yet ripe for state police as there are no guarantees that state governors, will not like in the past abuse the system, there is no doubt that this is at variance with what operates in most countries that practice the federal system of government. In the United States that Nigeria’s federal structure is fashioned after, there are several police agencies that exist separately.
While the state police take charge of highways and enforcement of state laws, cities have their separate police bodies under the authority of commissioners, who are appointees of the mayors. However, some stakeholders believe that there are inherent dangers with state police that are likely to threaten national interest. These pessimists expressed the belief that state police is likely to be misused by governors, especially against members of the opposition.
On the contrary, proponents of state police, advanced that the Federal Government should embark on a workable decentralization of the police force because the internal security of each state in line with the federal system of government is the responsibility of state authorities, while the central government plays a complementary role.
The need for state police because the nation is large in terms of population and landmass. So, the issue of state and community policing should be a priority
According to them, establishment of independent police units managed and funded by state governments will ensure effective policing of the country. They also attributed the inefficiency of the Nigeria Police Force to under-funding and administrative bottlenecks.
Noting that it is herculean for an individual to control the police force in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, they maintained that it makes no sense that governors, who are the chief security officers in their respective states, do not have control over instruments of security. They further posited that it is dangerous to continue to expose the military to internal security issues as such may, over time, compromise the armed forces traditional role to protect the territorial integrity of the nation.
Pending state police bill
In February 2024, a bill proposing the creation of state police successfully passed the second reading at the House of Representatives. The legislation titled, “A bill for an Act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of State Police and related matters.”
The bill seeks the removal of police from the Exclusive Legislative list to the Concurrent List. Sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu and 13 others, the bill is designed to improve public safety and strengthen law enforcement in Nigeria by decentralising the police.
The bill provides for state police alongside the federal police and outlines a constitutional framework for states that choose to establish and maintain their service. Backed by 13 members of the House, the bill gained the majority’s favour in the Green Chamber, with many lawmakers arguing that the security challenges take preeminence over concerns about political victimisation by state governors.
In the 9th Assembly, the state police bill was rejected by the lawmakers, who felt that state governors may abuse state police. However, in the face of rising insecurity, there seems to be a favourable disposition to the bill by the current Assembly as Nigerians remain underserved by the current policing system. There are about 371,000 police officers to 223 million citizens, and a sizeable number of these personnel are deployed to protect VIPs.
President Tinubu’s endorsement
No doubt, arguments against state police revolve around its abuse, but President Tinubu in his response to the clamour, in on February 16, 2024, specifically approved a committee comprising state governors and representatives of the Federal Government, to among others, explore modalities for establishment of state police as part of measures to check rising wave of insecurity in the country.
Recall that governors of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extraction, had before the President’s endorsement of state police, restated their position that state policing is the solution to the country’s worsening security situation.
Socio-political and regional groups such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Middle Belt Forum and the Northern Elders’ Forum, have also repeatedly called for establishment of state police To these stakeholders and others, the prevailing security situation and the need for an effective response makes it imperative for states to set up their own police forces. Already, states in the South-West geopolitical zone have the Amotekun, while their counterparts in the South-East created the Ebube Agu security outfit.
The Benue Guards has also been operational in Benue State in the North Central, while states like Katsina, Zamfara, and other banditprone sub-nationals have also come up with similar state-established outfits. However, the regional and state security outfits have not been as effective as anticipated as they do not have the backing of the Federal Government and as such have not been granted license to bear assault rifles like the AK-47 to confront lethal gun-toting criminal elements.
This, perhaps, informed why former President Godluck Jonathan and exHead of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, at a dialogue on state policing in April 2024, expressed the belief that establishment of state police is non-negotiable. Jonathan, who maintained that state policing is not up for debate, but rather the establishment of mechanisms to prevent abuse, said: “One thing is that we don’t need to debate whether we should have state police or not. I think that matter has been concluded. The issue is the operations of the police.”
The former President, who recalled that the 2014 National Conference organised by his administration supported the creation of state police, added: “The key area that we need to debate is how we will run the state police, so that it will be effective and devoid of any political influence.” General Abdulsalami, who also stressed the need for transparency in the operation of state police, warned that politicians must avoid asserting undue influence over state police. “If we decide to have state police, it is necessary for politicians to as much as possible avoid exerting influence on the ways the police are going to operate.”
The Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, who then disagreed with duo, maintained that Nigeria is not ripe for state police. According to him, establishment of state police will exacerbate ethnic tension, leading to divided loyalty in the states. “On the issue of state police, it is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that Nigeria is not yet mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police,” he posited.
He added that state governors are likely to abuse the privilege of state police by using it for political gains, leading to possible abuse of power and abuse of human rights. “State governors could use the police forces under their control for political or personal gain and undermine human rights and security.
There would also be a conflict of jurisdiction,” he noted. On funding, Egbetokun argued the state governments lacked the required funding that will give birth to the type of policing that the nation requires. Rather than establishing state police across the country, he recommended merging the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Commission to form departments in the Nigeria Police Force.
Clamour gains support
Apparently heeding the call and in line with the directives of the President, governors of the 36 states of the federation, submitted their positions on establishment of state police in December 2024, with a majority agreeing that there is the need for state-controlled policing. Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, who revealed this to State House Correspondents after the 147th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, said the consensus stemmed from various security challenges across the states.
The governor highlighted the central issue of ungoverned spaces in Nigeria and acute shortage of security personnel, including the police, army, and other relevant agencies, which are unable to cover all areas adequately as reasons why most of them agreed that establishment of state police, is the way forward in addressing the problem of insecurity. Raising hope on establishment of state police, President Tinubu, in September, said establishment of state police is unavoidable, as part of efforts to strengthen security across the country.
The President, who stated this, while reviewing the security situation in the North-East, said efforts of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in curbing insecurity in the zone, has further reinforced his belief in the creation of state police. His words: “I have looked more carefully at the security situation. I see the efforts of civilian JTF and communities.
This has again provoked my thinking on state police. We can work with the National Assembly to design a framework that guarantees local ownership while ensuring political neutrality,” While some stakeholders were quick to hail the President, the two leading opposition parties, PDP and African Democratic Congress (ADC), not only said that he is not sincere about security issues in Nigeria, but contended that state police will destroy Nigeria’s democracy, weaken and intimidate opposition voices. Chairman of PDP in Cross River State, Vena Ikem, who wondered what information is available to the President that convinced him that Nigeria needs state police, maintained that the move will bury the nation’s democracy.
“If we want to destroy the little we still have as a semblance of democracy, let us go ahead. If he wants to test the state police, I wish him luck but that will spell doom for this republic. We’ll be here to remind us when it happens. We tested it with state electoral commissions and it has proven to be a disaster.” Deputy National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Effiong Nyong, on his part, said the administration of President Tinubu is not sincere about the state police.
“It is clear that the government is either not interested or lacks the will to address security matters,” he said. Despite the fear raised by the opposition, the President, last week, urged the National Assembly to begin immediate legislative actions to allow states willing to operate state police to do so. He made the declaration as insecurity deepened across the country following recent mass abductions in Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger states.
“I call on the National Assembly to begin reviewing our laws to allow states that require state police to establish them,” Tinubu said in a statement, while declaring nationwide security emergency as well as directing security agencies to expand recruitment. He added: “Today, in view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the armed forces. By this declaration, the police and the army are authorised to recruit more personnel.
Southern leaders support move
Backing the President’s position on establishment of state police, the Southern Governors’ Forum and the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council, described the move as a constitutional necessity for addressing the country’s complex security challenges.
The support was part of resolutions of a joint meeting held last Wednesday in IperuRemo, Ogun State, where leaders from the South-West, South-East, and South-South reviewed pressing regional and national issues. In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the forum said the effectiveness of community-based and regional security outfits demonstrated the urgent need for decentralized policing.
It also encouraged all southern states to formally incorporate traditional rulers into their security councils, noting their crucial role in grassroots intelligence gathering and conflict resolution. The communiqué read in part: “Reiterating its long-standing demand for state police, the forum noted that community-based and regional outfits have proven the need for decentralised policing. It also pledged increased support for local security groups, hunter associations and community surveillance units through improved logistics and equipment.”
If we want to destroy the little we still have as a semblance of democracy, let us go ahead to test state police… that will spell doom for this republic. We’ll be here to remind us when it happens
Ogun State governor and chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun, who hosted the meeting, had in welcome address, said that establishment of state police is no longer negotiable in the collective effort to tackle worsening insecurity nationwide.
His words: “Distinguished colleagues, as we deliberate on the security architecture of Southern Nigeria, it is important to state clearly that the creation of state police remains a non-negotiable component of our collective demand for true federalism and effective grassroots security. Our region has consistently advocated for a policing system that is closer to the people, more responsive to local realities, and better equipped to address the rapidly evolving threats we face.”
The governor added that devolving policing powers to states will enhance intelligence gathering, early-warning systems, and protection of schools, farmlands, border communities and critical infrastructure. “The recent incidents across the country reinforce the urgency of decentralising policing so that states can take direct responsibility for safeguarding their citizens,” Abiodun maintained.
Stakeholders react
Some stakeholders, who spoke on the call for establishment of state police, said the prevailing security situation and the need for an effective response makes it imperative for states to set up their own police forces. A chieftain of apex Igbo body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Chekwas Okorie, who spoke on the issue, told New Telegraph that Nigeria is too large for a central police command. His words: “The clamour for state police emanated over the inability of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the security of lives and property of Nigerians.
The worst part is a situation where you recruit people into the police force, train and send them to areas where they are completely strangers, and are looked at with suspicion. “They are seen as an occupational army and they behave as one. That is why the people hardly provide information to the police.
And these police personnel act in a manner that justifies the peoples’ belief as we have seen situations where policemen turn around to betray those who provided them with intelligence. “In the First Republic, we had state police and we were able to provide security that security challenges were not as bad as what we are witnessing today.
If we did not disintegrate then, how come are we going to disintegrate now? When some people talk about disintegration, they are simply telling you about Biafra, but I will tell you that the centralized police structure that we have now is one of the post-civil war policies that have continued to hold Nigeria down. “Another fear why some people don’t want state police is that some states have far more than police personnel than they needed, while some states don’t have a quarter of what they need due to the imbalance in recruitment.
A former Inspector General of Police revealed this in a recent interview, while speaking on an attempt in the past to post policemen to their states of origin. “This is why I have always suggested the need for state police because the nation is large in terms of population and landmass. So, the issue of state and community policing should be a priority. You cannot send a policeman to state that he is not familiar with and expect him to perform.
Communication will be an issue. So, I suggest that we should start tinkering with the police structure by allowing the lower ranks of the police to go to their states of origin and police their localities. “President Tinubu has so far shown the political will in taking bold steps like he did with removal of fuel subsidy, so he should do this. If this policy decision is taken and we do not see result within a short time, then we jettison the issue of state police.”
A former governor of Sokoto State (now senator representing Sokoto South Senatorial District), Aminu Tambuwal, who believes that state police is the way to go if Nigeria must curb insecurity said: “Most people are concerned about state police because of misuse but I support the idea.Yes, we have federal police but part of the problem is that you post someone from, let’s say, Sokoto to Enugu.
He doesn’t understand the terrain. He doesn’t understand the language. “But if you have state police, they will collaborate and work together. There will be synergy and they can work together to ensure security. And in any case, the federal police are underfunded.
We also don’t have enough personnel in the police. So, we need more recruitment, more boots on the ground, both in the police and in the army. “I was governor of Sokoto State for eight years. I provided vehicles to the police and the general security apparatus; over 600 vehicles. We were also giving them monthly allowances. And whenever they’re doing any special clearance operation, we support them. But it is very frustrating when a governor cannot give instructions to either the commissioner of police or the brigade commander until he clears from the centre.
I’m not holding brief for the governors but that is their situation. That is why I support the idea of state police.” A former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, who has repeatedly kicked against state police, described its proposed establishment as a recipe for anarchy. He, particularly expressed concerns that state police will be an armed wing of the ruling party in each of the states.
“The state police will be used by the governors to persecute the opposition, to harass ‘non indigenes,’ to rig elections and to counter the federal police in cases of conflict of interest between the Federal Government and the state. Most ruling party thugs will also be recruited into the state police,” he said.
