The Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, recently affirmed that all 36 governors of the federation have unanimously endorsed the establishment of State Police.

Francis Onyema shares his thoughts on state Police in Nigeria

I wish to emphatically state that, given our unique peculiarities as a nation, the establishment of state police is not only a futile endeavor but also a recipe for disaster.

I have always maintained that the best way to address any issue is to clearly define the problem and then explore the most practical and effective solutions to resolve it.

The issues of insecurity and inadequate policing in Nigeria primarily stem from the proliferation of arms, poor training and equipment, corruption, and the unethical conduct of members of the Nigeria Police Force. The question, therefore, is: how does the establishment of state police address these fundamental challenges?

According to Senator Uba Sani, there are “a lot of ungoverned spaces in Nigeria.” While I may not fully subscribe to the concept of 𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴, the question remains: does the establishment of state police effectively address this issue? If the governor was referring to the inadequacy of policing in terms of the ratio of police to citizens in Nigeria, then our focus should be on campaigning for the Federal Government to recruit, train, equip, and deploy more police officers across the states of the federation.

However, this alone will not solve the problem. I must emphasize that until the Nigerian state reclaims its exclusive monopoly on the use of force, the men and women of the Nigeria Police Force will continue to face the daunting and overwhelming task of dealing with internal aggressors.

READ ALSO: Was President Tinubu’s G20 Summit in Brazil a Success or Another Balablue and Bulaba?

As I cautioned during the debate on the establishment of 𝘈𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘬𝘶𝘯, the South-Western security outfit, we must prioritize the de-escalation of arms as a strategy to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force. It is imperative to ensure that arms, no matter how small, do not fall into the hands of the wrong individuals. Only then can we confidently commission police officers to discharge their duties without fear or favour.

Meanwhile, it is unacceptable that Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV, in his comparative analysis of the decentralized police structures in the United States and Germany versus Nigeria’s centralized system, failed to adequately account for the economic strength of these global powers. Economic context is a critical factor that must not be overlooked in such analyses.

The pertinent question is this: with state governors already struggling to pay salaries and fund critical projects aimed at creating viable opportunities for their constituents, how can they realistically establish and sustain state police?

Let me make it clear: unless state governors are willing and able to fully fund the establishment and operations of state police in their respective states without relying on handouts from the Federal Government, the idea of state police should not even be up for debate.

At this stage of our democracy, what I expect is for state governors to collaborate with the Federal Government in maintaining law and order by ensuring that police officers serving in their respective states are adequately inspired, supported, and monitored to discharge their duties effectively.

If anything, relevant laws could be amended to grant state governors the authority to oversee and monitor police officers serving in their states. This would help ensure that they conduct themselves professionally and uphold the highest standards in the discharge of their duties.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

-Francis Onyema, 2027 Presidential Aspirant

This article was first published on Francis Onyema’s Facebook page on the 17th Dec., 2024