Lai Olurode, a retired Professor of Sociology at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has described President Bola Tinubu’s proposal to create state police as a timely and revolutionary step towards addressing Nigeria’s persistent security challenges.
Mr Olurode, in a statement on Thursday, said the president deserved commendation for proposing constitutional amendments that would allow the establishment of state police across the 36 states of the federation.
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The proposal is contained in the Constitution Alteration Bill currently undergoing legislative consideration as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s governance and security architecture.
According to Mr Olurode, successive administrations since the return to democratic rule in 1999 had recognised the limitations of Nigeria’s centralised policing system but were reluctant to pursue fundamental reforms because of the political sensitivities involved.
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“For holding the bull by the horns, President Tinubu deserves a pat on the back for this bold step which, of course, was long overdue. The fear of the backlash of such a major constitutional amendment must have been the reason why all the Presidents before him refrained from stirring the Hornets Net,” he said.
The retired professor argued that the existing police structure, inherited largely from the colonial era, has struggled to respond effectively to Nigeria’s growing and complex security threats, including banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, communal conflicts and political violence.
“But even, for many years, some Governors had acted ‘recklessly’ by creating parallel security outfits when their states became ungovernable where the Nigeria Police was apparently helpless as it became overwhelmed by the enormity of the security challenges – banditry, kidnapping, political thuggery, communal crisis and armed robbery among others,” he said.
The proposal for state police is currently before state Houses of Assembly, which must secure approval from at least two-thirds of the states before the constitutional amendment can take effect.
Benefits outweighs perceived risks
While acknowledging concerns that state police could be abused by politicians or create jurisdictional conflicts with federal law enforcement agencies, Mr Olurode said such fears should not prevent Nigeria from pursuing reforms necessary for a diverse and populous federation.
“The fears of abuses by the politicians and the other stakeholders and those of conflicts with the pre-existing Federal police aren’t enough to freeze our thoughts on the imperatives of the state police in a diverse, populous and expansive country like Nigeria.
“With the passage of time, Nigeria will become receptive to the need for the Federal police to tolerate and collaborate with the state police for our collective wellbeing, the protection of life and property and in the overall defence of our collective citizenship rights,” he said.
Drawing from his experience at the community level, Mr Olurode said local security groups and conventional police officers often work together effectively, with regular police authorities benefiting from intelligence and interventions provided by community-based organisations.
Background
The debate over state police has remained one of Nigeria’s most contentious constitutional issues for decades. Supporters argue that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering, community engagement and rapid response to security threats, while critics warn that governors could deploy state-controlled police forces to suppress political opponents.
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The issue gained renewed momentum amid worsening insecurity across several regions of the country and increasing calls for a restructuring of Nigeria’s federal system. President Tinubu has repeatedly expressed support for state policing as part of broader efforts to strengthen internal security and improve governance at the subnational level.
On 11 June, the House of Representatives passed a constitution amendment bill seeking to decentralise policing and allow states to establish their own police services. The Senate completed its consideration of the proposal on 24 June after President Tinubu transmitted the Constitution Alteration Bill to the upper chamber a day earlier.
The proposed amendment would replace Nigeria’s exclusively federal policing structure with a dual system comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services. However, before the proposal can become part of the Constitution, it must still be ratified by at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
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