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On February 15, 2024, President Bola Tinubu along with the state governors concurred, in principle, to establish state police as one of the strategies aimed at addressing the escalating security issues throughout Nigeria.
On Thursday, February 1, 2024, during their visit to Plateau State to express sympathy over the continuous killing of unarmed civilians, members of the opposition PDP Governors’ Forum supported the strong demands for establishing state police forces.
It was remembered that during a summit held on Monday, September 12, 2022, the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) along with the Northern Traditional Rulers Council (NTRC) advocated for amending the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal foundation for state policing. The communique issued after their gathering in Abuja stated, “This move would effectively and efficiently tackle the security issues faced by the area.”
In an unexpected shift in April 2022, ex-Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo advocated for the establishment of state police forces as a means to address the escalating security issues within the nation.
The primary hurdles in establishing state police forces stem from the provisions within the 1999 Constitution. Specifically, Section 214(1) clearly states that “there must be one single police force for all of Nigeria, called the Nigerian Police Force, and according to this section’s stipulations, no additional police force can be created for either the federation or any of its constituent parts.”
Section 215(4) of the Constitution states: “Notwithstanding anything else in this section, the Governor of a state or an authorized Commissioner of the State government can issue lawful directives concerning the preservation and protection of public safety and order within the state to the Commissioner of Police. The Commissioner of Police must adhere to these instructions or ensure they are followed. However, prior to implementing any directive from this sub-section, the Commissioner of Police has the option to seek guidance from either the President or another ministry official designated by the President.”
From the information provided, it is clear that only a constitutional amendment has the potential to facilitate the creation of state police forces. However, disappointingly, not one among the 68 Constitution Amendment Bills considered by the National Assembly in 2022 addressed this matter, even as security concerns within the nation continued to escalate.
The topic of state police has remained at the forefront of public discussion for decades. This subject has sparked significant debate. Each Nigerian president has resisted this idea primarily due to opaque motivations, possibly driven by a wish to maintain control over instruments of power. Many citizens oppose state police out of concern about potential misuse by state governors, fearing these officials might use such forces against political adversaries. Conversely, most Nigerians, regardless of their political affiliations, along with all the governors—who serve as chief security officers within their own states—believe it’s crucial to establish a state-level police system.
Can an individual Chief of Police in Abuja, despite being extraordinarily capable, establish a comprehensive security framework for each village and hamlet across this extensive landscape encompassing more than 250 distinct ethnic groups with varied histories, tongues, and customs? Many believe that incidents like the Owo massacre—and numerous others—could have potentially been thwarted or at least rendered challenging to execute if we had state-level law enforcement agencies.
Although we recognize the potential downside of constitutional police decentralization, we feel that the advantages significantly outweigh any possible drawbacks. Moreover, no state leader will have complete authority over the police force. Given the widespread issues caused by Boko Haram terror attacks, banditry, kidnappings for ransom, herder violence, armed robberies, and ritualistic abductions across the nation, establishing state police has become imperative. Local law enforcement personnel would be particularly efficient at fighting crimes within their communities and familiar territories.
Each advanced society implements a tiered law enforcement structure. Nigeria should not be exempt from this norm. Hence, we encourage the National Assembly to swiftly address the creation of state police forces.
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