The Senate’s approval of the bill seeking to establish state police has continued to generate mixed reactions from security experts and stakeholders, with supporters describing it as a long-overdue solution to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, while others insist strong constitutional safeguards must be put in place to prevent abuse.
The bill, which seeks to decentralise policing by creating state-controlled police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force, has now moved to the 36 state Houses of Assembly. It requires approval by at least 24 state legislatures before it can be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
A retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Aare Tunji Alapinni, welcomed the development, describing state policing as an opportunity to strengthen grassroots security and revive community policing.
Speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Alapinni said Nigeria’s current security challenges require new approaches.
“I’m not saying the existing system has failed, but there is always room for improvement. If there’s room for improvement, then there’s room for state police,” he said.
According to him, concerns over funding and personnel training should not derail the initiative, noting that such challenges have long existed within the country’s policing system.
He argued that one of the biggest gains of state policing would be the restoration of community intelligence networks, where residents are better positioned to identify suspicious activities and unfamiliar faces within their communities.
Similarly, the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, declared its readiness for the proposed transition to state policing.
Chairman of the South-West Council of Amotekun Commanders and Ondo State Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, described the reform as the most viable response to Nigeria’s security challenges.
He said the success of Amotekun since its establishment in 2020 demonstrated the effectiveness of community-based security structures.
According to Adeleye, the corps has arrested and prosecuted more than 500 suspected criminals this year alone, insisting that local security outfits possess a better understanding of their environments than centrally controlled policing structures.
“As far as the South-West is concerned, we are ready to adjust and conform to whatever framework is adopted to ensure the successful take-off of state policing,” he said.
Also backing the proposal, former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Jumoke Akindele, said the achievements recorded by Amotekun provided sufficient justification for the establishment of state police across the country.
The Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission (DAWN), Seye Oyeleye, also welcomed the Senate’s approval, describing it as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards true federalism.
He, however, cautioned that state police should not be seen as a cure-all for the country’s security challenges.
“State police is not the silver bullet to our security challenges, but it will go a long way,” Oyeleye said.
He argued that Nigeria’s centralised policing model had become inadequate for a country of over 230 million people with diverse security needs, noting that decentralisation would improve response times and strengthen local intelligence gathering.
Oyeleye also observed that governors, despite being regarded as chief security officers of their states, currently have little operational control over policing because state commissioners of police report directly to Abuja.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting the reform despite years of resistance by previous administrations and expressed confidence that constitutional safeguards could address concerns over possible abuse by state governments.
Despite growing support, concerns remain over the potential misuse of state police by governors for political purposes, particularly during elections.
The proposed constitutional amendment includes provisions aimed at preventing abuse, including restrictions against politically motivated arrests and the retention of federal oversight through nationally prescribed standards for recruitment, training, discipline and accountability.
The debate has now shifted to the state Houses of Assembly, where at least 24 legislatures must endorse the proposal before it becomes part of the Constitution.
While supporters see the reform as a necessary response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, critics maintain that its success will ultimately depend on the strength of the safeguards put in place to ensure professionalism, accountability and political neutrality.
