The renewed push for State Police

Two major signals emerged recently to rekindle hope for the early establishment of the long-awaited State Police as part of the national security architecture to tackle pervasive insecurity nationwide, since the 2014 constitutional conference recommended its creation but was vehemently opposed by the immediate past administration of Late President Muhammadu Buhari and lately by the sacked Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

First, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had passionately pleaded with the leadership of the 10th National Assembly led by Godswill Akpabio to amend the 1999 constitution to provide a legal framework for the creation of State Police which has become very urgent to deal decisively with Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, strengthen grassroots policing, and enhance states’ capacity to respond swiftly to threats within their jurisdictions.

Second, Mr. Olatunji Disu, moments after taking his oath of office as the 23rd Inspector-General of Police at the State House, Abuja, unlike his predecessor, Egbetokun, expressed full support for the ongoing discussions on State Police and listed internal preparation for its establishment, welfare of officers and restoration of security in the country as among his top priorities.

Indeed, to match words with action, Disu has inaugurated a high-level eight-member committee on State Policing headed by Prof. Olu Ogunsakin, to develop a workable framework for decentralized policing in line with the Federal Government’s fresh resolve to reform Nigeria’s security system. Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni will serve as Secretary while other members include, CP Okebuchi Ogora, CP Suleiman Guma, CP Okechukwu Okagor, CSP Tolulope Ipimiso and CP Emmanuel Ojukwu (rtd).

We fully endorse the renewed vigorous push both by the President and the new IGP for the realization of State Police which the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, had stridently opposed since it assumed power on May 29, 2015 because a decentralized Police Force will go a long way in confronting terrorism, banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and other violent crimes at the sub national level.

Without mincing words Tinubu told the leaders of the Senate that, ‘’what I will ask for tonight is for you (senators) to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear,” pointing out that a decentralized policing structure would complement existing federal security architecture and promote intelligence-led, community-focused law enforcement.

However, it must be emphasized that berthing State Police requires an amendment of Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) under Chapter VI, Part III which stipulates a single, unified police force for the entire federation, prohibiting the establishment of any other police force firmly under federal control and managed by the Inspector General of Police.

That same provision vests the National Assembly with the power to regulate it while section 215 outlines the duties of the police in respect of safety, public order, and the appointment of the Inspector General of Police. The Police and other government security services are under the Exclusive Legislative List of the federal government.

It is against this backdrop, in our view, that federal lawmakers should heed Tinubu’s clarion call and quickly initiate a constitutional amendment for the creation of State Police in the national interest to enhance security through local intelligence, as well as allowing state governments to create, fund, and operate their own police forces.

We challenge the Senate and the House of Representatives to revisit provisions of the 2014 National Conference in Nigeria (Confab) Report which officially backed the establishment of state and community policing through a unanimous voice vote and spelt out details on the proposed structure operational details especially its recommendation that federal police officers from the rank of Deputy Superintendent downwards should be indigenes of the state where they are deployed.

In making a strong case for the birth of State Police, we are also sufficiently convinced that hitherto argument by its antagonists that governors will use force to victimize their political opponents is not enough reason to stop its creation in view of serious security threats across the six geo-political zones in the country. This is more so because peace, security, law and order are essential for any meaningful socio-economic and technological development.

Again, it is obvious that the merits inherent in its establishment far outweigh the perceived disadvantages.
Besides, it is also worthy of note that the arrival of American forces assisting the Nigerian Armed Forces in dealing with the worsening insecurity has not really stopped the lingering offensive by terrorists and kidnappers nationwide.

This was alluded to by Tinubu on Friday when he assured Nigerians and members of the Armed Forces that the nation will ultimately prevail against all forms of insecurity, emphasizing that the sacrifices of the country’s brave servicemen and women will never be in vain.

Giving assurances during an interfaith breaking of fast with members of the Armed Forces at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare of officers and men on the frontlines, adding ‘’I have listened to the Chief of Army Staff on my recent approvals to the Nigerian Armed Forces. My duty is to thank all of you on behalf of a grateful nation, knowing fully well that many times you are without your families and that you stay away from them. Some of you are facing attacks by bandits and terrorists. I commend your courage, sacrifice, and professionalism as you put your lives on the line in defence of Nigeria’s sovereignty and the safety of its citizens”.

We therefore, wholeheartedly throw our weight behind proponents of State Police including the Lagos Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, who have argued that the proposed force in states will strengthen security operations in the country and complement the work of the Nigeria Police Force, ‘’bring policing closer to communities and strengthen public participation in crime prevention, enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies to respond more effectively to emerging security threats across the country as well as provide significant benefits by deepening local knowledge of security dynamics and enabling quicker responses to crimes’’.

Decentralizing certain policing responsibilities they further contended would allow for more efficient deployment of security resources, enabling state governments and local authorities to address peculiar security challenges within their jurisdiction, contribute to economic development by creating employment opportunities for thousands of young Nigerians while strengthening the country’s overall security capacity and should not be seen as a replacement for the Nigeria Police Force but a complementary structure within a coordinated national security framework, provide more localised policing services focused on community safety, conflict prevention and early response to emerging security issues’’.

More importantly, the introduction of the outfit in states has become a matter of necessity since experience has shown that anti-crime outfits like Amotekun, Ebube Agu and others have not been able to confront criminals given their limitations.

Also, State Police will no doubt enable the federal police to efficiently play its constitutional role as the primary national law enforcement institution, responsible for maintaining internal security as well as concentrate more on complex and transnational crimes such as terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime and human trafficking.

We challenge governors of the 36 states not to use the proposed force to intimidate or victimize political opponents as predicted by antagonists but rather should focus on protecting lives and property of citizens which is the cardinal purpose of government that the existing security architecture has woefully failed to guarantee. Securing Nigerians against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, killer herdsmen, cultists, armed robbers and other criminals should be a collective responsibility of the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and the proposed State Police. We demand that this task must be done for the common good.

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