Inadequate funding and undue interference by state government functionaries may compromise the planned state police, security experts have warned.
President Bola Tinubu and the state governors agreed at a meeting in Abuja on Thursday on the need for state police as part of the strategy to enhance security across the country.
Although the framework for the state police is still in the works, security experts are not convinced that many of the state governments can adequately fund police at the local level.
They also fear that the responsibilities of such state police may be compromised by undue interference from government functionaries, especially governors.
A retired Police Commissioner in Imo State, Abutu Yaro, is opposed to the establishment of state police, saying the issue must be handled with care in the overall interest of the country.
“Our constitution does not call our police federal, state or local police. The name is never federal government police. The constitution recognises it as Nigeria Police,” he told The Nation.
“So if this provision is there, I do not know why we want to call it state or federal police when we have operated what we have for 150 years. Why do we want to declassify it?”
He said the establishment of state police would create problems.
His words: “In our policing system, the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) is subject or answerable to the local government chairman.
“At the state level, the Commissioner of Police is a member of the executive council and the governor is in charge of the police in the state, and the same obtains at the federal level where the president controls the police.
“In all this, the state governor has the power to suggest the removal of a commissioner of police. The CP can remove the DPO if the local government chairman complains of none compliance.
“If this is so, why do we want to declassify the police?”
Yaro accused the governors of discontinuing security meetings at the local government level.
“About 22 years ago, there were different quarterly security meetings at the local government level. But this has been abandoned especially in the South. This is still under the control and ambit of the governor.
“Insecurity is as result of our neglect of our local administrative system.”
Yaro also wondered how some of the states that owe civil servants salary can fund state police.
“Which state is not owing workers?” he queried.
Going down memory lane, he said: “About five years ago, during police constable recruitment in one of the states in the North, it was decided that each governor should pay a token N10,000 to each of the constables.
“But for nine months, none of the governors paid one kobo, to the extent that the boys started shoplifting, going into the villages to steal goats and other things.
“These are the same governors who are clamouring for state police.
“Even the strategic training due to the police, how many of the governors are executing this?
“Go to the PoliceTraining College, Nekede in Imo State, the playing ground is just neglected and dilapidated, yet we want state police. So how is it going to be funded?
“If you have a police that you can buy armoured cars for; you have a police that you can remove its CP; what kind of state police do you want?
“If our perception has derailed to this level, we are on our way to Rwanda. Do you know what that means? The type of destruction that will take place within five months of it being implemented will be worse than what happened in Rwanda.”
He said that instead of state police, the Constitution could be amended to give more powers to the governors to issue directives to their Commissioners of Police.
We must address the fundmentals first, says (rtd) AIG Inalegwu
Retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Wilson Inalegwu said that for state police to succeed, the fundamentals of establishing such an institution must first be addressed by the stakeholders.
He said: “I have repeatedly said that ordinarily, state police is not something people should argue against.
“But the reality of our situation, managing our unity in diversity and conduct and behaviour of our politicians is a dangerous path to follow at this time of our national life.
“The government talks about having state police. Did they talk about logistics support to the police? Did they talk about a framework for the police engaging the community?
“Even the motivation and morals of the police are very important. They have not talked about reviving the police training institutions.
“There are fundamentals that we need to address. There should be discussions about technology. All they said is that they are going to increase personnel for the police.
“I think every building must have a solid foundation. I believe there should be a solid foundation where the state police will spring from. That is not the case.
“What is the state of the election commissions, where some governors have used some opportunity of having the vigilantes to harass their political opponents?
“Has any opposition party won even a councilor seat? These are realities and professionalism needs to come first.
“I think they are putting the cart before the horse, and it is not going to work. It is going to be confusing; it’s going to be a dangerous path.
“They should go back to the report that Aguyi Ironsi set up which Gowon implemented.
“In the case of technology, why should somebody make phone calls in Nigeria and the person is still able to hold people in captivity? Is there no technology to track the person?
“This is what we should empower the police with. Government should be more fundamental and serious about the issue of security.
“Government wants an easy answer, and who told them that state police is the answer to this issue. Nigeria is much more sophisticated. How many governors can support state police?”
Funding is crucial to run state police – Galma
In a separate interview in Kaduna, retired Major Muhammad Bashir Galma, said while security of life and property is important, government should not overlook the role of funding in running an effective state police.
Read Also: NASS ready to accommodate state police in constitution, says Senate spokesman
“That the President met with the 36 States Governors and told them he likes the idea of State Police does not mean that they will go back to their states and start creating it,” he said.
“Certain questions have to be answered first: How is the training going to be? How is the selection process going to be?
“It is not just enough reason for the governors to go back to their states and start recruiting armed robbers or political thugs just because they want to create State Police. So, all these things must be considered.
“Even the economic viability of the states must be considered because at the end of the day, you create state police and some governors will start retrenching people because of their state’s economy. That is going to be a big problem.
“In a developing country like Nigeria and with the kind of system we are following – our behavior, religious and ethnic biases, as well as political differences – we really have to put a lot into consideration. Otherwise at the end of the day, you appoint people who would be clashing even among themselves.
We also need to know where the line is going to be drawn between the State Police and Federal Police. That is command and control, area of responsibility.
The state police will be directly under the governor who created them. Now, who is going to be more powerful in the state? Is it going to be the State Police or the Nigerian Police?”
FNM says no to state police
The Future Nigeria Movement (FNM) said the establishment of state police was not good for the country.
Leader of the group, Livingstone Wechie, said the best arrangement for Nigeria is massive investment in community policing and vigilant groups to tackle insecurity across the country.
He said: “The idea of state police is brilliant, but the institutional infrastructure is grossly lacking for now.
“It is strongly submitted that government should rather focus more on community policing and encourage local vigilante in our various communities.
“This way, the people will own the security management across board. The question of treating local vigilante as rivals must be discouraged because a higher percentage of security success has been due to cooperation with locals who have mastered the terrain.”
Govs must shun interference in state police duties
A former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, called for safeguards to stop governors from manipulating state police.
“Policing is local. Crime is environmental. State police is what we should be thinking about, but then, there must be some safeguards put in place? Like is the governor going to be the one to appoint a commissioner of police and deputy commissioner of police? Arase, Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) said on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, aired on Channels Television on Friday.
He added: “In order areas, the governor does not have control over the appointment of police commissioners. The truth about it is that if we are going to have state police, our political culture must be such that accommodate oppositions.
“Most of our governors, if they have control over their police apparati, their oppositions won’t be able to campaign anywhere.”
He advocated a system whereby civil society organisations, lawyers of repute, traditional rulers, religious leaders will be involved in the appointment of police commissioners under the state police system.
State police may affect Amotekun’s role —Osun commissioner
The Osun State Information and Public Enlightenment Commissioner, Kolapo Alimi, said the coming of state police may encroach on the functions of Amotekun, the South West security outfit.
Alimi told The Nation that while the state government was fully in support of state police, “the concern is the existence of the Amotekun after creation of state police.”
