Niger backs state police, seeks safeguards
State police must resist political abuse — Moghalu
By Gift Chapi Odekina, Abuja
The Niger State Government has backed the establishment of state police, saying growing insecurity requires a policing system capable of responding more effectively to the peculiar security challenges of local communities.
The state’s position was conveyed on Tuesday by a representative of Governor Umar Bago at the 2nd Annual Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps in Abuja.
The lecture, themed “The Imperative of State Police: Securing Communities, Strengthening Federalism,” brought together lawmakers, security officials, journalists and other stakeholders to examine the proposed decentralisation of policing in Nigeria.
The governor’s representative said the scale of crime and insecurity across the country had made it necessary to bring policing closer to the people.
“When we look at the rate of crime and insecurity in Nigeria, it becomes clear that there is a need for a more effective security architecture that can respond to the peculiar challenges of our communities,” he said.
He said Niger State had already taken a position in support of state police, adding that the initiative could help address security challenges at the community level.
“We in Niger State and across Africa would love to see State Police become a reality in Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, security challenges occur within communities and cities, making proximity critical to effective policing.
“Everything happens in our communities and cities. This is why we believe there is a need to bring policing closer to the people,” he said.
He said insecurity affected Nigerians irrespective of political affiliation or background, stressing that citizens wanted a system capable of guaranteeing their safety and protecting their communities.
Also speaking, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Planning and Research and Secretary of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Nnadubem Moghalu, said the proposed state police system must be designed to protect Nigerians while preventing political interference and abuse of power.
Moghalu said effective policing was central to protecting lives, livelihoods and economic opportunities, arguing that Nigerians should be able to seek police assistance without knowing an influential person.
He said state police could bring policing closer to communities and improve understanding of local security challenges, while the Federal Police would retain responsibility for crimes and threats that cross state boundaries.
Moghalu, however, acknowledged concerns that state police could be abused by governors against political opponents or minorities.
“Our institutions must be designed to work even when people we distrust hold power. Personal assurances from today’s officeholders cannot carry that responsibility. Therefore, the law must define authority clearly and make its misuse answerable,” he said.
He stressed that the success of the reform would depend not only on legislation but also on funding, training, equipment, welfare and effective accountability mechanisms for police officers.
Giving an update on the proposed reform, Moghalu disclosed that the constitutional amendment Bill providing the basis for a dual policing structure had been transmitted to the state Houses of Assembly.
He said four states — Edo, Rivers, Osun and Oyo — had approved the Bill at the time of his address, while 24 states were required for the constitutional amendment process to succeed.
Moghalu explained that the constitutional amendment would establish the legal basis for state police, while the proposed National Policing Bill would provide the operational framework for implementation.
He said the Presidential Working Group had begun drafting the National Policing Bill to avoid delays, noting that establishing state police would require extensive preparation, including recruitment, training, infrastructure and administrative capacity.
According to him, the Working Group, chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, includes the Attorney-General of the Federation, National Security Adviser, Inspector-General of Police, representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Nigerian Bar Association and other stakeholders.
Moghalu said the group had also conducted nationwide consultations and received memoranda from academics, think tanks, community organisations, socio-cultural groups, political organisations and security agencies.
He said the core of the National Policing Bill had been settled, although work was continuing to ensure that its provisions were coherent and workable.
Moghalu declined to disclose individual provisions of the draft, saying Nigerians should examine the complete Bill when it is eventually transmitted to the National Assembly.
He warned that the reform would fail if it merely “federalises the status quo” by spreading existing policing failures across more institutions.
He said the ultimate test would be whether Nigerians could obtain police protection without influence, payment or publicity.
“The Nigerian who needs the police at three in the morning should be able to get help without influence, without payment demanded as the price of protection, and without first becoming a national news story,” he said.
Moghalu urged the media to help explain the distinction between a constitutional amendment, a proposed law and an operational police institution.
He added that even after the Bill became law, governments would still have to provide sustained funding and administration, while public trust would have to be earned through the daily conduct of police officers.
Earlier, spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Akin Rotimi, who represented Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, said the National Assembly recognised the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship with the media.
Rotimi urged journalists to approach legislative and policy issues from the standpoint of evidence rather than partisan considerations.
“A healthy democracy requires a Parliament that can explain and defend its decisions, and a press that can question us without fear or favour,” he said.
He said the media should examine legislation based on its principles, provisions and likely consequences rather than who sponsored or supported it.
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, represented by Suleyman Gulma, also welcomed the ongoing debate on state policing.
Disu said security remained fundamental to socio-economic stability and that transparent, multi-stakeholder discussions were necessary as Nigeria considered reforms to its security architecture.
Former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, said the state police debate was not merely a security issue but also a question of governance, constitutional responsibility and the relationship among the tiers of government.
Elumelu said any new policing framework must provide effective oversight and accountability while ensuring adequate training, welfare, funding and professional standards for personnel.
Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, also supported a carefully designed state policing system, saying local forces could respond faster to threats because of their familiarity with communities.
She, however, called for constitutional clarity, professional standards, independent oversight, sustainable funding, intelligence sharing and respect for human rights.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Comrade Gboyega Onadiran, said the 36 state Houses of Assembly were considering the state police proposal, with some having already voted on the Bill.
He said the issue was no longer theoretical given the security challenges confronting communities across the country.
Onadiran, however, raised concerns over the possible abuse of state police by governors, stressing the need for safeguards, adequate funding and effective oversight to ensure professionalism and independence.
The 2nd Annual Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture is part of the House of Representatives Press Corps’ efforts to provide a platform for public discourse on critical national issues.
The post Niger backs state police, seeks safeguards appeared first on Vanguard News.