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Tag: STATE POLICE

  • State Police: DAWN commission calls for immediate federal legislative action

    State Police: DAWN commission calls for immediate federal legislative action

    The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission has called for federal legislative reforms to establish state police as a complement to the existing federal security architecture

    The commission said the need for the call for national attention became imperative in view of the escalating insecurity across the country

    In a statement signed by the Director General, Dr. Seye Oyeleye, the Commission said the expansion and boldness of terrorists, bandits, and criminal groups perpetrating violent crimes against innocent citizens and communities have reached alarming proportions

    He lamented that the Nigerian Army, valiant as it has been, is being stretched to its limits, with brave soldiers fighting on multiple fronts against insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and communal and herdsmen clashes in the Middle Belt.

    He stressed that, without urgent legislative action to empower states to develop their own policing and intelligence structures, the country risks sliding into a total breakdown of law and order, adding that recent attacks underscore the urgency of the call.

    He said the merits of state police are clear and compelling, noting that localized policing allows for intelligence gathering rooted in community knowledge, enabling swift and precise responses to threats.

    He added that it also empowers states to tailor security strategies to their unique challenges, whether combating banditry in the North-West, militancy in the Niger Delta, or cult-related violence in the South-West

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    Dr Oyeleye said, “The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission wishes to draw urgent national attention to the escalating insecurity across the country and the dire need for federal legislative reforms to establish state police as a complement to the existing federal security architecture.

    “Nigeria is at a critical juncture. The expansion and boldness of terrorists, bandits, and criminal groups perpetrating violent crimes against innocent citizens and communities have reached alarming proportions.

    “With every geopolitical zone experiencing attacks by groups of violent criminals, the daily reports of killings, kidnappings, and destruction of livelihoods paint a grim picture of a nation under siege.

    “The Nigerian Army, valiant as it has been, is being stretched to its limits, with our brave soldiers fighting on multiple fronts against insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and communal and herdsmen clashes in the Middle Belt.

    “It is evident that without urgent legislative action to empower states to develop their own policing and intelligence structures, the country risks sliding into a total breakdown of law and order.

    Recent attacks underscore the urgency of this call.

    “Communities in Benue have been razed by marauding herdsmen, leaving scores dead and thousands displaced. Both Christians and Muslims are being attacked in places of worship, and recently, in Kebbi state, bandits have abducted schoolchildren in broad daylight, mocking the state’s inability to protect its future generations.

    “These attacks are ruthless, inhumane, and leave a trail of blood everywhere. Even urban centres are not spared, with brazen attacks on highways and residential areas, spreading fear among citizens who once considered these places safe.

    “The situation has become so dire that the Trump administration in the United States has recently threatened foreign intervention, citing reports of genocide against Christians in Nigeria. Such external pressures, if materialized, would complicate Nigeria’s already fragile ethno-religious relationships, displace millions, and cast a long shadow over the country’s sovereignty and future stability.

    “The consequences of failing to ramp up Nigeria’s security infrastructure with state police are grave. Ethno-religious conflicts will intensify as communities resort to self-help in the absence of credible protection. Vigilante groups, unregulated and untrained, will proliferate, further destabilizing the fragile peace.”

    Harping on the benefits of state policing to improve security, the DG warned that, “The absence of localized policing will embolden criminal networks, leading to a collapse of trust in government institutions and a descent into anarchy. A systemic approach to peace, conflict management, and law and order is urgently required, and the establishment of state police is central to this strategy.

    “The merits of state police are clear and compelling. Localized policing allows for intelligence gathering rooted in community knowledge, enabling swift and precise responses to threats. It empowers states to tailor security strategies to their unique challenges, whether combating banditry in the North-West, militancy in the Niger Delta, or cult-related violence in the South-West.

    “State police will serve as a force multiplier, complementing federal agencies rather than competing with them, thereby creating a layered and resilient security architecture. It will also signal to the world that Nigeria is serious about confronting its insecurity challenges head-on and is willing to adopt systemic reforms to safeguard its future.

    “We acknowledge the fears expressed by some stakeholders that state police could become personal militias in the hands of governors. These concerns are valid but surmountable.

    “The DAWN Commission recommends robust constitutional safeguards, independent oversight bodies, and clear operational guidelines to ensure accountability. Recruitment and training must be professionalized, with well-established global standards guiding the establishment of state police forces.

    “Collaboration between federal and state agencies should be institutionalized to prevent abuse and ensure synergy. With these measures, state police will not be instruments of oppression but guardians of peace and order. Nigeria stands at a precipice.

    “The current insecurity is a clear and present danger, threatening the unity, stability, and future of the nation. Foreign intervention, if allowed to occur, will not only undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty but also exacerbate ethnic and religious divisions, leading to mass displacements and long-term instability.

    “The establishment of state police is not just a legislative necessity; it is a moral imperative. It is the only credible path to restoring confidence in governance, protecting lives and property, and ensuring that Nigeria remains a cohesive and sovereign nation.

    “The DAWN Commission, therefore, calls on the National Assembly and the Federal Government to expedite legislative actions for the establishment of state police. The urgency cannot be overstated. Every day of delay costs Nigerian lives, deepens mistrust, and weakens the foundations of our democracy. A systemic approach to peace and security, anchored on state police, will demonstrate to Nigerians and the international community that the government is resolute in confronting insecurity and committed to building a safer, stronger, and more united Nigeria.”

  • Quest for state police

    Quest for state police

    Of all apparatuses of state power, the police have more influence and wield more power than judges, bishops, politicians and soldiers. It is also perhaps the most critical institution for the smooth running of communities and survival of society as we today know it. The alternative to public order, enforcement of law and protection of citizen and their property, is of course anarchy, where life becomes the survival of the fittest. It is the de facto government in most rural communities and to some extent in some urban settings. They perform the role of jurors, judges, priests, therapists, peace maker etc. Their station is the first port of call for the aggrieved, depraved, warring housewives and elite members eager to protect the disproportionate share of the nation’s resources they have cornered. This is why a nation that plays politics with its police often pay dearly for its folly.

    But for our continued desecration of principles of federal arrangement, the huge expenses wasted on failed  ‘Operation Sharan Daji (Sweep the Forest)’, ‘Operation Harbin Kunama (Scorpion Sting) Operation Diran Mikiya (Eagle Fighting), “Operation Puff Adder,” “Operation Maximum Safety” aimed not only “at taking the battle to the doorsteps of the criminals” but to “rout-out, arrest and prosecute armed bandits, vicious kidnappers for ransom and cattle rustling gangs operating in Zamfara State, would have been saved. The relief nine years of bombing could not secure for besieged people of Zamfara is what community policing routinely secures for communities where they wield power and influence as representative of government.

    And the reason for this is simple. As against indiscriminate bombing of siblings in Zamfara for example, by strangers, local police recruits from the warring Hausa subsistence farmers and Fulani herders would have constituted themselves into a balance of terror faced with a choice of continued mindless killing of themselves or resolving their differences in the interest of their different communities that look up to them for direction.

    But beyond this, there are places in the north according to Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, where one can drive for three hours without sighting policemen who are expected to constitute government of such areas. Since there is no vacuum in nature, such areas become haven for insurgents and bandits. This is why for him – there is no alternative to decentralization of the police architecture in order to create state police if “we are sincere in addressing the problem of criminal activities of banditry and kidnapping”.

    Unfortunately, until recently, politicians from the south and the north have always taken irreconcilable positions on the issue of state police The Fulani ruling elite for fear of allowing children of the oppressed Hausa to operate in areas they have monopolized for long, opposed state and community policing even with most part of the north under siege.

    Read Also: FG vows swift rescue of abducted Kebbi schoolgirls, reaffirms duty to protect citizens

    The governor of Kaduna State, an advocate of state police, took the crusade to the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) Distinguished Lecture Series, where he delivered a lecture titled, “The Role of State Governments in Overcoming Insecurity in Nigeria where he insisted “there is no alternative to creation of state police if we are sincere in addressing the problem criminal activities, banditry, kidnapping”.

    President Tinubu who seems to have his hands tied by political consideration has always been a crusader for decentralization and state police. Decentralisation was in fact part of his campaign promises.

    In February 2024, his government inaugurated a committee to develop a framework for state policing. Not long after, the National Economic Council (NEC) announced that nearly all the 36 states had submitted memoranda on the creation of state police, with most of them in agreement with the proposal. The president thereafter, reiterated that the creation of state police is no longer optional but a necessary step to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture in the face of persistent threats across the country.

    In September this year, the president told the Council of State the need of a revisit to state police after hailing the performance of JTF helping people returning to their homes: “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,” the president declared.

    The president also used the occasion of a recent visit by a delegation of Katsina indigenes led by Governor Dikko Radda to the Presidential Villa in Abuja to assure them of his government’s commitment to the creation of state police. “I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create state police. We are looking at that holistically”.

    It must be noted that the Buhari administration was not opposed to creation of state police following the general demand by majority of the state governors. His only fear according to Garba Shehu, his senior media adviser, was about the capacity of state governors in arrears of staff salaries to carry the burden of new salaries. That fear no more exist today with the humongous amount of money going to the states and local governments.

    Of course we cannot decree against some overbearing state governors from abusing state police.  The consolation is that there will be rule of engagement and there will be a system of check and balancing.

    Our major crisis of nation-building since the collapse of the first republic is non-adherence to principles of federal arrangement as enshrined in our constitution. Murtala Mohammed and Olusegun Obasanjo started the process of overloading the exclusive list with items removed from concurrent list to fulfil their ill-advised policy of ensuring ethnic nationalities at different levels of cultural development even before the advent of colonial rule, now operate at the same level. With the total disappearance of residual list, we started operating unitary rule in the name of federal arrangement.

    Unfortunately, neither the classical model builders that see federalism as “a form of government in which sovereignty or political power is divided between the central and local governments, in such a way that each of them is independent within its sphere”, nor modern proponents of cooperative federalism that emphasize cooperation between the centre and the federating states envisaged a situation where the centre which in any case, is not superior to the subunits, will usurp the power of the subunits to police themselves.

    How will states perform their primary role of protecting lives and properties of citizen if denied the right to police themselves?

    Abridging the constitutional right of the subunits to police themselves is the source of social dislocations we witness across the country. For instance, the sources of conflict in places like Zamfara, Katsina, Benue and Plateau is the rivalry between indigenes and settlers over control of political and economic resources. The cheapest approach since both groups have been condemned to live together would have been recruiting state and community police among the two warring groups. That outcome will be balance of terror that could force the two warring groups to sit down and address their common problem since the alternative to living in peace will be endless reprisal killings.

    Again, quest for state policing is a symptom of self-inflicted crisis of nation-building. The truth is that some of our powerful leaders have no faith in the country. They are more interested in what they can take out of the country than building a nation. All our self-proclaiming patriotic leaders including those who fraudulently claimed they “sacrificed their present for our future”, are responsible for the nation’s nightmare since the collapse of the first republic. After all, it was never lost on any of them that there is hardly any state with federal structure from India to Brazil, Canada to Germany and the US from where we copied our constitution that does not operate a decentralized police force.

    The president has expressed his commitment to creation of state police He must walk the talk by prevailing on the National Assembly to be on the side of the people. Instead of throwing bombs and deploying soldiers to fight warring siblings who live among themselves, I think it is time to allow local people under the supervision of local police who are stakeholders face their own demon. As Governor Uba Sani told us “when states take ownership of security and development, peace becomes sustainable”.

  • State Police, council autonomy, electoral reforms top 87 issues in Constitution review

    State Police, council autonomy, electoral reforms top 87 issues in Constitution review

    State Police, Council autonomy and special seats for women top the eighty-seven Constitution amendment Bills being proposed by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Constitution review.

    Also being considered are “extensive electoral reforms, including proposals for independent candidacy, the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission, and a fixed timeline for the determination of pre-election matters to ensure that the will of the people is never again subverted by legal technicalities”.

    This was made known yesterday at a one-day public hearing on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution review by the panel in Abuja.

    Some other issues are Electoral and Judicial reforms,  devolution of powers, strengthening of public and traditional Institutions, as well as citizenship and Indigeneship. 

    While the bill for state and community policing seeks the establishment of state and community police systems, that of women and People Living with disabilities (PLWDs) proposes constitutionally guaranteed seats for women and persons with disabilities in the National Assembly and Houses of Assembly.

    The sponsors of the bill for financial and administrative independence for local governments are seeking to enhance the autonomy of the third tier of government via a structured system of Executive and Legislative arms.

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    This will be in line with Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to the 774 councils.

    The House of Representatives, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen and state Assembly Speakers said much is expected of the committee.

    For the review to be meaningful, they also said that the plan should deepen democracy and ensure equity and justice.

    At the forum, traditional rulers, who renewed their  agitations for a constitutional role, clarified that the motive is not to hijack the function of elected leaders, but to serve as a bridge between the government and the governed.

    Representatives of women group also reiterated their demand for increased representation in the parliament and executive councils across the tiers.

     The Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Benjamin Kalu, clarified that the bills being considered are still proposals before the National Assembly.

    The public hearing held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, which was billed to start at about 10 am did not start until about 11.30 as the organisers struggled to control the crowd.

    ‘We are committed to constitutional reforms’

    President Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, reiterated his commitment to the constitutional reform that would strengthen the institutions.

    He described the process as a “golden opportunity” for Nigerians to advance democracy and nation-building. He urged them to actively participate in the historic opportunity to entrench good governance, inclusivity, and sustainable development.

    President Tinubu commended the House for creating an inclusive platform to engage with the citizens, civil society, political parties, professional groups, and traditional institutions in the amendment process.

    Abbas: There is need for increased women representation

    Abbas said Nigeria cannot prosper by leaving half of its talent and energy on the sidelines, adding that a reform that is delayed is denied.

    The Speaker said the review would pay attention to representation of under represented groups like women, youth and persons with disabilities in governance.

    Abbas said: “Today women hold less than five percent of seats in the National Assembly. That statistic is unacceptable for a country of our size and ambition”.

    The Speaker said the public hearing marked a significant moment in the nation’s democratic journey and legislative process as it crowns months of deliberate, nationwide engagement designed to ensure that Nigerians themselves shape the evolution of the supreme law.

    Assemblies will play their roles, says Bauchi Speaker

    The Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly, represented by the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, said Constitution amendment is about renewing trust and rebuilding confidence in the democratic institutions.

    He added: “The Conference of Speakers is committed to playing its full role in this process. We will continue to ensure that the voices of states are heard and that the reforms agreed upon here are given the necessary ratification across our 36 Assemblies”.

    Etsu Nupe: Why we deserve political role

    The National Council of Traditional Rulers said political role would enable the monarchs to complement government structures at the grassroots.

    The Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, said “I want to make it clear to all of the members, executive members, governors, chairmen, and everybody, that this institution is not here to usurp your authorities, no. We are here to collaborate, to complement you, so that you run this country much, much better. We don’t compete at all, no competition at all.

    “We are here to complement and collaborate with all the programmes, all the policies that the government may bring. We mobilise our people, we encourage them, we make them understand because when we speak, our own mother tongue, they understand better than what I’m speaking now, English.

    “You know, when a Yoruba calls his people and tells them what to do, they understand Yoruba. The same thing with the Igbo, if he calls his people and talks to them, they understand him. So that language, that barrier must be breached.”

    The royal father who went down memory lane recalled  before the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates and the Lagos Colony to form Nigeria in 1914, the various areas were a conglomeration of kingdoms, caliphates, chiefdoms and emirates, with various levels of traditional authorities as the basis for governance.

    Kalu: Bills have not become law

    Kalu explained that the bills being considered by the National Assembly are still proposals capturing the needs and desires of the people and not yet laws.

    He said: “Before us is a compendium of 87 proposed amendment bills, each a response to the felt needs and expressed desires of the Nigerian people. They are organized around the central pillars of a modern, functional, and just society.

    “The items and amendment proposals being considered are not yet laws, but still proposals, suggestions and ideas that have emerged through one of the most inclusive and participatory exercises in Nigeria’s constitutional history.

    “Importantly, these proposals do not simply represent the agenda of the legislature; instead, they are, first and foremost, the thought-out demands, hopes, and memoranda of the Nigerian people themselves, gathered through extensive regional dialogues and topically-focused public hearings held across the nation.

    ‘It is, therefore, essential that the process is not misconstrued. The constitutional amendment journey is designed to be transparent, participatory, and fair.

    “Yet, let us also be clear: while today represents the final stage of direct public engagement in this constitutional review process, it is, by no means, the final day of work. Rather, it marks the transition to the next phase, a return to the deliberative chambers of the parliament, where all submissions will be critically sifted, refined, and improved upon in preparation for the momentous task of voting”.

    Envoys hail process

    British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria Geo Liva said opening the doors of the constitutional amendment process for wider citizen input demonstrated a commitment to promoting democratic debate and accountability.

    She said the huge turnout at the public hearing underscored the healthy and considerable desire there is in Nigeria for participatory democracy, assuring that the government of the United Kingdom is committed to its modest support for the process.

    Liva said: “Our support is rooted in a shared belief that inclusive governance built on public participation, built on the need for fostering public trust, is a cornerstone of a resilient democracy.

    “As your partner, the UK understands that any constitutional reform process is a complex undertaking. It needs thoughtful deliberation, the building of sufficient consensus and the creation of shared visions for future arrangements.”

    The Head of the European Union delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, said the amendments posed some logistical challenges, but shows how vibrant Nigeria’s democracy is, “even more vibrant than we would think”.

    He said: “For any democracy, constitutional reviews are opportunities to strengthen democracy and adjust it to the evolutions of society, technologies and the global environment.

    “As international partners, the EU is following very closely this process. Of course, we are very careful not to meddle into the sovereign choices of the people. But we are here to provide technical assistance, expertise, support for consultations with stakeholders.”

    The President of Network of Women with Disabilities, Lois Auta, lamented the low representation of women in governance in the country.

    She said: “As it is right now, we are at a zero level of participation in governance. We are excluded and underrepresented in every sector.

    “In Kenya, we have a visually impaired woman who is a senator in the Kenyan parliament. What is Nigeria doing? As it is, it is time we move from exclusion to inclusion, from inclusion to participation, and from participation to representation. We also need to move from policy to practise.”

  • State police, power devolution, others back on front burner

    State police, power devolution, others back on front burner

    • Reps hold public hearing on Constitution review today

    The House of Representatives will today hold a  public hearing on the proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution.  

    The hearing, originally scheduled earlier this month but postponed following the national mourning for former President Muhammadu Buhari, marks a major step in the ongoing efforts to amend the constitution.

    Issues on the front burner are state police, power devolution, state police, special legislative seats for women, electoral and judicial reforms among others.

    Deputy Speaker of the House  Benjamin Kalu, who also chairs the Special Ad-hoc Committee on the Constitution Review, is expected to preside over the event at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

    House Spokesman  Akin Rotimi said in a statement that the hearing is designed to consolidate inputs  by  Nigerians during consultations in July across the six geopolitical zones.

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    The consultations featured public hearings at 12 designated centres nationwide.

    Rotimi   described the national hearing as “a vital platform for Nigerians and stakeholders to shape constitutional reforms directly.”

    He encouraged Nigerians to study the Compendium of 86 Constitution Review Bills, available online( https://bit.ly/HCCRCompendium), to better understand the issues under consideration and make informed contributions.

    “This national forum will consolidate citizens’ contributions ahead of legislative voting on the Constitution Review Bills. It demonstrates the House’s commitment to inclusive and participatory governance,” Rotimi said.

    Kalu also underscored the people-driven nature of the exercise, insisting that any amendment must reflect the aspirations of Nigerians.

    “This Constitution belongs to all Nigerians, and its review must reflect the aspirations of our people. I urge citizens and stakeholders to participate fully in the National Public Hearing and make their voices count, because only through your contributions can we achieve a truly participatory and people-driven constitutional review,” he stated.

    The House reaffirmed its commitment to a transparent and credible process, pledging that the outcome would reflect the collective will of Nigerians.

  • Nigeria needs state police for better security response – Kalu

    Nigeria needs state police for better security response – Kalu

    …as lawmakers move to grant statistics bureau financial autonomy

    Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has said Nigeria can no longer delay the creation of state police if it hopes to tackle its security challenges effectively.

    Kalu, who spoke with journalists in Abuja on his return from Geneva, Switzerland, where he attended the 55th Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organisation/Inter-Parliamentary Union (WTO-IPU) Public Forum 2025.

    He stated that Nigeria’s current centralised policing structure is inadequate and far behind global standards.

    Earlier hosted by Nigerian Students at the Harvard Kennedy School in Massachusetts, United States, Kalu said the only way this can be achieved is to decentralise its current structure.

    Read Also: Reps panel moves to grant statistics bureau financial autonomy

    He said: “On the State Police bill that is before the parliament, we are thinking about the response time of policing in Nigeria which at the moment is below the global standard. The only way we can achieve this is if we unbundle it from the way it is centralised like what other countries are doing: Municipal police, State Police. And just the constitution is clear on what is on the concurrent and exclusive lists.

    “Certain subject matters will now be handled by the State Police and Federal Police, respectively if we set it up and break it down the way Nigerians want it and that’s why we are calling for the national public hearing on Monday. Let’s have this conversation on issues like this to know whether you want it or not, or should it be tailored in one way or the other. There may be fears of hijacking it but we cannot because of that deny the majority of Nigerians the security of lives and property that we promised them as a government.

    “So, we should be looking at the bigger picture. Everyone in Nigeria may not be a politician but everyone needs security of lives and property. So, we are saying which one should we go for? The greater good or the fear of the minor threat? I think we should go for the greater good so that the good in the majority will suppress the threat in the minority.”

     Kalu said Nigerians demonstrated rare patriotism and resilience by standing with President Bola Tinubu in the wake of the fuel subsidy removal and other bold economic reforms, stressing that the difficult decisions were necessary to put the country on the path of sustainable growth.

    The Deputy Speaker also commended the State governments for helping to diversify the economy, saying it will increase job creation and boost the economic well-being of the citizens.

    He urged Nigerians to stay engaged, patient, and supportive of the reforms, while also participating actively in shaping policies such as the State Police Bill.

    “Just imagine 36 States engaging in productive engagements, outings, whether it’s in agriculture, in production, and also the rest of them, it will create more jobs, increase our wealth. And I think that is the intention of these reforms. I was happy when I saw the president saying in August that their target for revenue has been achieved for the year. It’s a step towards the right direction. It may not be so cozy, but it’s leading us where it’s supposed to lead us.

    “And we needed a President with balls, a President with courage to do this. And we thank him for having the courage and Nigerians for supporting him to get this done the way it has been done.

    We are looking forward to the benefits of these reforms, going forward. This is the time for everybody’s hands to be on deck. We cannot afford to be distracted. It is time to move Nigeria forward,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on National Planning and Economic Development has reiterated its commitment to accelerating the passage of a bill seeking to grant financial autonomy to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

    Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Gboyega Isiaka, disclosed this in Abuja while hosting a delegation from the Liberian House of Representatives, accompanied by the Statistician-General of Nigeria, Mr. Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran.

    Isiaka explained that the committee’s work goes beyond routine oversight of agencies to ensuring that Nigeria’s statistical system commands public confidence, both locally and internationally.

    “The Committee on National Planning and Economic Development oversees a number of agencies, including the Bureau of Statistics. Aside from ensuring adequate funding and prudent utilization of resources, we are also deeply interested in making sure that the figures and statistics coming from the Bureau are credible. In today’s world, capital flows to where investors have confidence, and reliable statistics are a major factor in building that confidence,” he said.

    He added that the Bureau, first established under the 1957 Act and later updated in 2007, still operates under a framework with loopholes, hence the need for reform.

    “The current law came almost 50 years after the first one, but there are still gaps. That is why a new Act is being proposed. The bill has already passed First Reading at the House of Representatives. Once we resume, we will take it to Second Reading and then hold a public hearing. That is how far we have gone,” Isiaka said.

    According to him, one of the key objectives of the new bill is to strengthen the independence of the NBS, particularly in the area of funding.

    “At the moment, the Bureau’s major source of funding is the regular budget allocation. But the national statistical system, aligned with the National Strategy for Developmental Statistics 2024–2028, places significant responsibilities on the Bureau. Normal funding from the budget may not be sufficient. We are therefore exploring the possibility of setting up a National Statistics Trust Fund. Some of the agencies that directly rely on the Bureau’s figures, for example the capital market regulators, could make direct contributions into this fund. That is one of the critical areas the new law is looking at,” he said.

    Isiaka noted that the law would also formally empower the NBS to serve as the official custodian of Nigeria’s statistics and to broaden its data sources.

  • Again, NEC dithers on state police deliberation, adoption

    Again, NEC dithers on state police deliberation, adoption

    The National Economic Council (NEC), at its 152nd meeting in Abuja yesterday, failed to deliberate on the creation of state police.

     The Nation gathered that the issue, which many believe is central to addressing the nation’s security, did not even feature on the meeting’s agenda.

    It was reported that the matter was stepped down at a previous session.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has, in recent weeks, strongly signalled his support for state police, describing it as “inevitable” in his administration’s security reforms.

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    “The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it,” the President had said while hosting a delegation from Katsina State led by Governor Dikko Radda.

    In  May, the 19  Northern governors formally endorsed the proposal for state police, citing the need for more effective, locally driven security management.

    The governors also urged the National Assembly to expedite work on necessary legislation to enable its establishment.

    Earlier,  more than 34 state governors expressed support for the initiative,   when the federal government set up a committee to explore the  modalities.

      Information and Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris confirmed at the time that the President and governors had agreed on a framework.

  • Another perspective on State Police

    Another perspective on State Police

    Two weeks ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reiterated his commitment to the creation of State Police in Nigeria, due to our national security and geopolitical reality. Recall that Mr. President, had triggered the process of the creation of State Police on the 15th of February last year when he convened a meeting with the 36 state governors, also attended by the Vice President Kashim Shettima, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the DSS, and some Ministers at the State house in Abuja.

    In my view, the creation of state police will provide a critical pillar of our national security architecture that has been lacking in Nigeria for a long time. In addition, the creation of state police is in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to achieve true federalism and decentralization of power in Nigeria.

    As rightly stated by President Tinubu, the preponderance and efforts of the various civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in various forms across the geopolitical zones and States, including state security outfits like Hisbah in Kano State, Amotekun across the South West States of Nigeria, and state security outfits in other States across Nigeria trying to curb insecurity, further reinforces the need for the creation of state police.

    I have been a proponent of the creation of State Police in Nigeria, and in the past 1 year, I have written twice on this topic in this Column (Part 1 on the 23rd February, 2024, and Part 2 on the 2nd May, 2025). However, in today’s episode, I will reiterate my positions and expand my contribution to this important national discourse. In addition, as the Group CEO of the Global Investment and Trade Company (GITC), where the services we provide include; policy strategy and advisory, legislative frameworks and legislation support, policy implementation etc. we will support the creation of state police by following through the legislative processes (from Executive to national Assembly) to ensure that we have a robust registration to ensure that state police is not just enacted or activated, but to support the legislative process and framework that will protect the citizens of these countries and their allies from potential abuse of state police by those governors who that would like to take advantage of state police for their vested interests. Because, as Mr. President stated last week, and I quote, “We can work with the National Assembly to design a framework that guarantees local ownership while ensuring political neutrality”.

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    The Need to Continue Building Capacity at the Federal Level

    The Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Military, which are fully in the war against the insecurity theater, are facing not just funding issues, but other material challenges. Today, we have about 300,000 men and officers of the Nigerian Police Force, with a ratio of about 1 to about 500 Policemen. Recall that last year, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, raised this concern, requiring about 190,000 more boots on the ground to be recruited. In my opinion, they need more because we have about 250 million Nigerians that they are supposed to serve and protect. The Nigerian Military is facing the same man and material challenges. The entire Nigerian Armed Forces, i.e., Army, Air Force, Navy, Police, Immigration, Customs, Civil Defense, and the newly recruited Forest Guards, etc., are less than 800,000 active officers and men (boots on the ground). This is a really serious issue. 

    Therefore, there is an urgent need to continue improving the human capacity of the Nigerian armed forces at the federal level. Because, from a strategic perspective, while we refocus on state police, we must not lose sight of the criticality of the federal security architecture, which must be continuously and properly funded, equipped, and supported. Otherwise, we will be creating a bigger problem when we “lose guard” of our key security and territorial integrity flanks. It is only when the federal armed forces are solid, mobilized, mobile, lucid, efficient, and effective that state police will be relevant and successful. Even though the state police are crucial, they will have limitations.

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     Operations Model

    The lines of authority and accountability must be clearly defined between the state police and the federal police. Because even now, we sometimes witness face-offs between military and police or between security agencies. Therefore, the operations model should address the interplaying roles between state police and federal police. What will be the state of play when or where there are escalations? And what will be the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)? What are the engagement protocols between federal and state police? And what are the clear lines or boundaries of authority and accountability? We need to address that at the foundation level of formulating the state police legislation.

    Indeed, some powers will be taken from the federal security agencies, and they will be domiciled or shared with the state police. This will create new power blocks at the state level. Therefore, naturally, there will be a need for an adaptation process. Those are the things that will ensure that the federal police will all play their role in a way and manner that there are no frictions or there are no clashes. How we frame our laws will be key.

     Funding

    Funding and the framework that will support the funding are crucial. We currently have a situation where not all the states in Nigeria are struggling to pay the minimum wage of 70,000 Naira.

     Therefore, how will the Governors effectively fund State Police?  That is a crucial question that the governors need to answer and tell the citizens, from accountability and transparency perspectives. It’s not enough for a Governor to say he can crush insecurity within two months. How will he fund the state police in a sustainable manner? Because as citizens, we are not expecting governors to go to the federal government cap in hand to ask for money to fund state police, and if that will be the case, then I will withdraw my support for State Police.

     Concerns about the potential abuse of State Police by Governors

    I re-echo the concerns of many Nigerians and stakeholders that some state Governors will most likely use the state police as negative forces of coercion and abuse of office. The use of state police by overbearing and wicked Governors will certainly be a disaster, and, as citizens, we MUST not allow that to happen.

     But given our current insecurity situation and how we are evolving as a country, we cannot throw away the baby with the bathwater. Therefore, we should have state police. But we must have provisions within the constitution that will safeguard against the abuse of power, which will be catastrophic! 

     We should also ensure that thugs and touts are not converted by Governors to become State Police officers.

     Robust Legislation

    I use this opportunity to call on all well-meaning Nigerians, all subject matter experts, thought leaders, and stakeholders we should be part of the state police legislation, and give it the same attention that we gave the Tax Reforms Bill that was recently passed into law, to ensure that the enabling laws will be robust with the necessary safeguards to protect citizens, residents, and visitors of Nigeria.

     State Police will become a critical component of our democracy, and because we are creating something that is new, which could be subject to abuse, it is important that we pay attention. So that we do not hand over absolute power to state governors. Because absolute power corrupts absolutely!

    Concerns about Potential Abuse and Human Rights Violations

    We have cases of human rights violations and abuse of power by some security officials at the federal level. I cringe in my seat when I think of what will happen when the powers of state police are taken over by overbearing and narcissistic governors, whereby the state police are only accountable to the governors without any framework to neutralize such excesses if and when they happen.

     For instance, in February 2023, Justice Riman Fatun, of the Federal High Court Abakaliki, passed a judgment disbanding the Ebebeagu State security outfit in Ebonyi State, due to illegal arrests, extortions, possession of illegal firearms, human rights violations, etc. This instance underscores that the process of setting up state police should ensure that it will not be abused.

    Doctrine is a Critical Success Factor

    Doctrine guides thinking and the culture. And since we are creating a new entity called State Police, a new doctrine should drive the culture. Accordingly, if the existing federal armed forces have weaknesses that we are trying to address, imagine what some governors with this humongous new power of controlling state police will do, especially when the officers and men of the state police are not properly indoctrinated.

     If we don’t deal with the issues of doctrine (top to bottom and not bottom up!), we may create monsters that we cannot control as State Police, and the terrible consequences will be of broad ramifications.

  • Still on the clamour for state police

    Still on the clamour for state police

    • By Francis Onyema

    Sir: The recent declaration by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the creation of state police demands serious and critical national discourse, especially in light of previous policies that have exacerbated hardship for millions of Nigerians.

    While the growing insecurity across the nation is a grave concern, establishing state police is a potentially dangerous solution that fails to address the root causes of the problem. The notion that simply placing a police force under a state governor’s command will end crime is a fallacy, as demonstrated by the statement from the governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal.

    The fundamental issue plaguing our current security apparatus is not structure, but chronic underfunding. The lack of manpower, poor equipment, inadequate training facilities, and low morale within the Nigeria Police Force are all direct consequences of insufficient financial investment.

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    Proponents often cite the United States as a model, but this comparison is fundamentally flawed. The annual budget of a state like Florida is over 317 times larger than that of Zamfara State. This stark financial disparity raises critical questions: Can state governors truly afford to fund a professional police force? Would state officers receive better pay, training, and equipment? Or would this new structure simply create 36 underfunded and politicized security outfits?

    Opposition to the establishment of state police is grounded in the following critical points:

    It ignores the root cause: State police does not address the fundamental driver of insecurity: the proliferation of illegal arms. Vesting control of police in governors, many of whom have shown disregard for the rule of law, invites the weaponization of security agencies against political opponents. Moreover, states are already struggling to meet obligations like the new minimum wage and capital projects. Adding the immense financial burden of a police force is untenable. Creating multiple police forces risks deepening ethnic and regional divisions, while fostering mutual distrust among federating units.

    Instead of creating a new layer of policing, the government should focus on reforming and properly funding the existing system. A good way to start is to recruit 60,000 new officers annually to achieve a 1:200 officer-to-citizen ratio within three years, invest heavily in modern technology for intelligence-led policing; strengthen borders to staunch the flood of illegal weapons, while reinforcing the state’s monopoly on the use of force.

    Also, state governors should work with the federal government to oversee police activities without direct control to ensure accountability, implement a system to record all arrests in real-time to prevent illegal detention.

    The debate must shift from “should we create state police?” to “how can we properly fund and reform the policing system we already have?”

    • Francis Onyema,

    Abuja.

  • State police

    State police

    •An idea whose time has come

    Once upon a time, the South West preached the gospel of state police, with the swagger of a seer who could see tomorrow, bemused at other regions that have eyes but could not see.

    The North West, with the same iron scorn, aside determination, scowled back with no less ideological contempt: over their dead body would state police ever happen.

    All that has collapsed today. The perilous insecurity situation, preached louder than any regional arrogance or diffidence, has made the imperative for state police loud and clear.

    It’s welcoming that a sitting President not only feels this intense pulse, he is ready — nay, sworn — to seizing the times to make the formalisation of state police a reality. Formalisation, because a rash of vigilante corps are already contending Nigeria’s vast space with the bad boys, and their bristling violence. State police will only smooth their rough edges, streamline their training and formalise their mandate.

    That’s why President Bola Tinubu’s fresh commitment to formalising state police must be a thing to cheer. Nigeria clearly needs more boots on the ground. The more police troopers occupy empty spaces, the more constrained the murderous activities of violent felons should be.

    ”I have to create state police,” the President told a Katsina delegation, led by Governor Dikko Radda, at Aso Villa. “We are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity,” he pledged. “We must protect our children, our people, our livelihood, our places of worship, our recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us.”

    It’s also heart-warming that almost all the geo-political regional blocs — Afenifere (South West), Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF): with membership from the North’s three zones) and the Middle Belt Forum (MBF: North Central) have rallied to the President’s latest pledge.

    After running a centralised police with mixed results, the precarious situation yells that we try another formula. While the current policing views security from a central pooling, state police imbibes indigenised security, with the community at the core of any policing solution.

    What is more? Even the new Forest Guards should be shaped as the forest arm of state police. Local hunters trained as core security corps, over a forest landscape they know rather intimately, would appear a better deal than fresh personnel form virtual nowhere. 

    Inasmuch as this in no way suggests that Forest Guards should be the exclusive preserve of local farmers, they remain ready assets that could be moulded into a crack security network that could protect our forest space, dominate the place and flush out any suspicious band of felons, before they are able to pull off violent mischief.

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    If the President is talking of a holistic approach to the challenge, this is one direction to look.

    Indeed, the National Assembly, aside the ongoing constitutional reforms that already okayed the principle of state police, which nevertheless awaits the endorsement of two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly to promulgate it into law, should further look into the possibility of further breaking policing into smaller units. That should be the future focus, though.

    If indeed more boots are needed to be on the ground, then the smaller the space a police jurisdiction covers, the better. So, even after achieving state police, smaller spaces like local government police, university or polytechnic campus police, etc. could further deepen the policing network. All of these sub-state police units can fit into efficient and effective intelligence cells, which ferret out hatched crimes, before they are even executed. 

    The common issue will then be a standard and rigorous training regime, the grade of arms adequate and available to each cadre to do effective policing, and a no less robust law that erects a network of jurisdictions, at the top of which the central police sits. 

    That is not unlike America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which the locals dub as the “Feds”, that only swoop in, if the seriousness of the crimes is above the capacity of the lower cadres.

    Besides, given the random abuse of regional police experiment in the First Republic — the very reason the military-in-power cancelled regional police for a central one — a rigorous legislation is imperative to rein in abuses by governors and other local players, especially against the political opposition.

    So, given the current security challenges, the state legislatures should speed up the legislative processes needed to make state police a reality. Without their prompt action, the President will but labour in vain over the matter. It’s time everyone played their roles.

  • Of state police and armed bandits brouhaha

    Of state police and armed bandits brouhaha

    • By Mobolaji Sanusi

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has vivified conversations around the over-flogged recurring issue of state police. Much detested as the issue is to some that are feeding fat on the lopsided federal structure called Nigeria, state police remains the most practical solution to law enforcement in our current insecurity-infested and culturally heterogeneous entity.

    During a recent meeting with Katsina state elders in Aso-Rock Presidential Villa, the president hinted about his resolve to give state police a shot. As a progressive that has for decades been in the forefront of strident calls for true federalism, most people, especially his close admirers like yours sincerely, consider this as coming a little belated. Being a repository of policing needs and challenges since his days as governor of Lagos State, Tinubu’s shared presidential thoughts about the way to go in combating security challenges in the states is thought provoking. 

    His listed realistic conditions, including the deployment of security outfits that understand the terrains, showing respect for local cultures and one that must be easily connected to the grassroots. These prescriptions are obviously beyond what the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as presently constituted for the federation can meet. Therein lies an urgent need for an empirical, not rhetorical police reforms in the country.

    His succinct words: “The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it….I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create a state police. We are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity….”

    That the inevitability of state police is now receiving the desired attention at the highest level of government is heartwarming. Yours sincerely shares the president’s sentiments on state police based on a holistic approach but with a caveat that his definitive words are met with the long awaited affirmative action.

    The NPF, like in any modern society, must play and be seen to be playing a critical constitutional role of maintaining internal security through the protection of lives and property, apprehension of offenders, maintenance of public safety and enforcement of law and order. But the questions on several minds are: How effective is the police in the prevention and detection of crimes? How effective is the police in the protection of rights and freedom of Nigerians as enshrined in the grundnorm of the land? Answers to the above questions amongst others, sadly, cannot be in the affirmative.

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    As things stand today, the police as an institution cannot be accorded high ratings in its discharge of aforementioned duties. However, it won’t be hyperbolic to state that chiefly among the largely avoidable problems of police is over centralization of its command structure, which is antithetical to federalism purportedly practised by the country.

    Nigeria pretends to run a federation with unitary features. The 1999 constitution (as amended) affirms this. For instance, the grundnorm makes the thirty-six states’ governors the chief security officers of their states when in actual practice, the power to control the police resides with the president through the Inspector General of Police whose tenure is at the mercy of same leader.

    The states as sub-national units suffer more when it comes to effective control over police affairs in their jurisdictions. They are daily faced with situations requiring immediate control but are unable to act because actual police control resides in Abuja.

    Two troubling examples, one recent and the other not too recent happened in the country with frightening implications for guaranteeing effective policing in our sub-national units. The two incidents point at a perilous centralisation of police control lever at the expense of effective urban cum communal policing.

    The first example happened sometime in early 2022 when Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had a humiliating encounter with a police officer somewhere in Magodo area. The police officer, an unnamed Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), refused to obey Sanwo-Olu’s order to withdraw policemen on an allegedly illegal frolic of laying a siege to Magodo Phase 2 Estate over a lingering land crisis. He directed the police officer to call his superiors, but instead, the disrespectful dialogue below ensued between the governor and the CSP:

    Sanwo-Olu: “Can you call your superiors in Abuja that the governor is here and I’m the chief security officer; tell them that you don’t have any business in my state and that I want you to disengage from here…..That’s why I want you to make a phone call and tell your superior that I’m here, standing in front of you. Make that phone call.”

    CSP’s response: “Yes sir. I’m here on the instruction of the inspector general of police, through the attorney general, sir, and that is why I’m here. I’m too small or too low to call them Your Excellency. With due respect, you can call them directly, sir.”

    The governor further asked him who his superiors were? the CSP replied: “Inspector General of Police, through the AGF.”

    Sanwo-Olu unrelentingly told the CSP that he spoke to the attorney-general earlier, and he denied being aware of the police presence in Magodo for that operation. Yet, the CSP contemptuously replied the governor that he was “expecting a call to disengage the ‘several’ armed police officers within the estate.”

    Further attempt by Sanwo-Olu to know the number of policemen deployed for the estate’s operation from the CSP was dismissively declined “for security purposes.”

    The second illuminating example is the very recent lamentations of Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State over his institutional limitations to tackle incessant insecurity in his state despite being its chief security officer. Yours sincerely consider this incident as another classical example of the need to hasten the process of creating state police by President Tinubu.

    Governor Lawal hopelessly lamented the insecurity situation in his jurisdiction thus: “I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandits’ leader is located within Zamfara State, I know it, and if he goes out, I know. With my mobile phone, I can show you where and where these bandits are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers…..If today, I have the power to give orders to the security agencies, I can assure you that we will end banditry in Zamfara State within two months.”

    He further stated: “Most of the time, I shed tears for my people because I can see a problem but, because I don’t have control over the security agencies, I cannot order the security operatives to act in time.”

    Right thinking people should feel sorry for a Nigeria where governors of the subnational units believed to be CSOs of their respective states cannot control police officers in their states. Yet, successive federal governments of Nigeria continue to budget and waste trillions of scarce funds on combating avoidable insecurity when the actual foundational modus for stepping the criminality in the bud remains disconnected. This makes our misplaced security spendings more like a huge joke-a complete waste, so far.

    The problems that ensued from aforestated examples of Sanwo-Olu and Lawal are daily occurrences with other states’ governors facing insecurity and other criminal infractions arising from avoidable centralization of police control. Such is nothing but a denigration of the exalted governorship position.

    The Sanwo-Olu/Lawal issues and other emanating incidents of insecurity/criminality in states stand as reasons why the nation needs state police now, more than ever before. This is without prejudice to espoused envisaged problems of state police largely attributable to the ‘Nigerian Factor.’ Notwithstanding, state police remains a more pragmatic and effective panacea to the nation’s heterogeneous security problems.

    However, strident antagonists of state police can’t deny the fact that the current federally employed police population of barely 400,000 to a population of over 200 million is superfluous. With this scanty police population, how do we expect effective policing of thousands of communities particularly in rural areas that have been made vulnerable to the shenanigans of bandits, gunmen and kidnappers across the nation’s six geo-political entities. A decentralized law enforcement system is inevitable if only to facilitate effective coverage and prompt response in times of security emergencies.

    The fear of political misuse of state police is germane considering the lawless inclinations of most governors and politicians generally. But in reality, some wealthy and influential people still deploy police personnel to serve their whims and caprices at the detriment of upholding citizens’ inalienable rights.

    So, police abuse is not by governors alone but equally by influence peddling and money-miss-road people amongst us. Effective legislative checks can be put in place to curb such and other adduced  impediments. And where this is not enough, the judiciary is there as final arbiter in resolving personal and institutional conflicts. With state police whenever it’s introduced, the teething stage is the learning curve pending when the nation gets it right. We can’t run away from this rudimentary reality.

    For the centrists who want the status quo ante sustained, their fears can be taken care of with a proviso ensuring that federal security forces can coexist and where necessary, intervene in situations that seem beyond any state’s control. Under incumbent President Donald Trump of the United States, such interventions have happened, with the latest being the recent deployment of federal troops in New York to restore peace and order. More importantly, state police, with clear-cut legislation, cannot diminish the powers and influence of the federal government. It will rather strengthen the nation’s law enforcement mechanisms by making it more responsive and effective for the betterment of all.

    In Lagos, a state special law enforcement police designated as Rapid Response Squad, has been existing for over two decades, and still effectively operates within the federal policing constraints. The success of RRS underscores the necessity for a state police for the nation’s component units. This state police can take over from the local quasi-policing groups in existence across the country.

    Comparatively, if multi-layered policing structures can happen in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, India, and even an African country like South Africa, nothing should stop its introduction in Nigeria. It will only avail the nation’s component units the confidence and legal protections to secure their jurisdictions against criminal tendencies. History is watching, and the president with his bold progressive tag hanging on his neck, cannot afford to be on the flip side of posterity.

    His recent presidential declaration on state police should be pursued with substantial vigour, necessary to effect the desired constitutional amendment to birth a truly desirable state police. The National Assembly that sometime ago amended the Police Act, within days, to accommodate tenure extension for the current IGP, cannot afford to be an impediment, through foot dragging, on the path to achieving this lofty and long overdue presidential idea. It should not!

    Sanusi, former MD/CEO of LASAA, is a managerial psychologist and currently the managing partner of AMS RELIABLE SOLICITORS.