The issue of state policing in Nigeria has for the umpteenth time taken the front burner in national discourse. This time, at the exclusive instance of the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review and PLAC, a civil society organisation. Both bodies on Monday, April 22, 2024, organised a dialogue themed, “Pathway to peace: Reimaging Policing in Nigeria,” in Abuja. The dialogue meant to kickstart deliberations on the state policing bill currently before the National Assembly witnessed lopsided reactions.
President Bola Tinubu, erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan, former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar and a host of others backed the establishment of State Police except the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. Dr. Jonathan, also a former Governor of Bayelsa State said the subject of state policing is not debatable but rather the dialogue should dwell on deployment of appropriate mechanisms to prevent abuse. According to him, the issue of state policing is non-negotiable, long accepted and concluded. He enjoined the participants to focus particularly on how not to give room to political actors at the sub-national level to hijack state police and use it against their opponents.
He said, “There is no way we can manage our internal security if states will not have their police. The issue is not States having their police but how they will function vis-a-vis the national security architecture. “Criminal elements don’t pass through those controlled routes. It is when we have national border guards that we will be able to control these elements. Yes, Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Immigration Service officers carry weapons, but they are not sufficiently trained to confront these criminal gangs. “There is no need to debate about state police. The issues of state police and the Coast Guard were accepted at the 2014 National Conference. “The Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies at the border are not trained to deal with criminal gangs. “The issue today is very critical. One thing is that we don’t need to debate whether we should have state police or not. I think that matter has been concluded. The issue is the operations of the police.”
The former president recalled that the 2014 National Conference organised by his administration accepted the creation of state police, stressing that the establishment has become imperative to secure Nigeria. “We must not waste our time debating whether we should have state police or not, we should concentrate on how to check abuses by state political actors. “The key area that we need to debate is how we will run the state police to secure the security architecture of the country so that it is most effective and devoid of any political influence.”
Dr. Jonathan further charged the National Assembly to rejig INEC in respect to polling booths of INEC and the use of police during elections. Speaking in same the vein, a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) harped on transparency and accountability in governance as he also cautioned politicians against pressures and political influence on the state police. “If we decide to have them. It is necessary for politicians as much as possible to avoid exerting influence on the ways the police are going to operate if at all we agree to have the police,” he said. Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar made case for traditional rulers to be part of the security architecture of the country considering the native intelligence at their disposal.
He stated, “In order to make peace, have security in any nation, the government must be transparent and accountable and do all that it will take to make citizens comfortable in order to go on with their daily business to earn their legitimate living. “Again, having said that, citizens of every country have a responsibility to ensure the maintenance of peace and order. “As a child growing up in the rural community, we see the role of the village heads where if a stranger enters a village, the village head knows about that and through their communication the Emir is aware. As we are talking about establishing the state police, we should also look into the role of our royal fathers,” the former head of state said as he noted that the caliber of police recruits is important.
President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by his deputy, Senator Kashim Shettima declared his resolve to change the country’s security narratives as he urged leaders to ensure that the deliberations continue beyond the dialogue. Asiwaju Tinubu said, “The concept of state policing is not merely a policy for the proposal but a potential milestone of revolution of our law enforcement framework. It offers the possibility of catering to the diverse needs of our communities. “It is essential that this forum is not the end, but the beginning of an ongoing conversation on the issue of police and security sector reform in our country. “The theme of today’s event is a pivotal aspect of our national discourse. It reflects a collective recognition of the need for a more localised, responsive and effective law enforcement framework.”
In a statement by Vice President’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima assured that the Tinubu administration is continually developing and refining its strategies and methods to address the complex security issues confronting the country. The Vice President said, “The commitment of the administration of President Tinubu to reform the police force and enhance security at both the national and state levels is unwavering. “We view the outcomes of today’s deliberations as crucial inputs that will guide the government’s actions towards reforming the institution of the police and achieving a safer and more secure Nigeria.”
He enjoined the participants at the National Dialogue on State Policing to approach the idea of state policing multidimensionally, stressing the President’s open-minded resolve to decentralising the police force. “In our deliberations, let us consider the implications of state policing from multiple perspectives. We must evaluate its potential to improve response times to emergencies, adapt to specific local challenges, and increase accountability. At the same time, we must address concerns related to the standardisation of training, oversight, and the safeguarding of civil liberties. “Our dialogue today should also be seen as an opportunity to listen, understand, and propose solutions that bridge gaps. It is essential that this forum is not the end but the beginning of an ongoing conversation on the issue of police and security sector reform in our country.”
Shettima commended the 10th House of Representatives under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for reawakening the idea of state policing, as he pledged government’s commitment to implement the meaningful recommendations of the House of Representatives on reforms of the entire policing system to enhance the security of the country. “This government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is acutely aware of the complex security issues that abound in places; as such we are continually developing methods to address these challenges effectively,” he stated. But the Inspector-General of police, Olukayode Egbetokun, outrightly expressed a contrary view faulting the stance of the president, ex-presidents and elder statesmen. Egbetokun said, “It is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force that Nigeria is yet be matured and ready for establishment of state-controlled police.
The IG called for solutions to the challenges confronting the Nigeria police to enable it serve the people better. He said the National Assembly should instead merge the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Corps as a Department under the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Represented by Ben Okolo, an Assistant Inspector General of Police, the IGP put forward four more proposals – increase yearly police recruitment by at least 30,000 to meet the United Nations requirements; increase budgetary allocations to the Nigerian Police; ensure effective training of personnel in modern policing to enhance efficiency; and amend the Constitution for more empowerment, and funding of police. Egbetokun warned of governors’ excesses, stating that under such a disposition, the governors can abuse the outfit for political or personal gains and compromise human rights and national security.
In his words, “There is the potential for abuse of power by the state’s political leadership. State governors could use the police forces under their control for political or personal gain and compromise human rights and security.” However, the Federal Government insisted there was no going back on the initiative. The nation has been grappling with multifaceted security challenges for the past years with the police authorities unable to roll back the crisis despite the deployment of various strategies, including the military forces across the country.
To address the anomaly, President Tinubu and the state governors agreed to come up with modalities that would culminate in the creation of state police to tackle the security crisis. This was part of the agreements reached at an emergency meeting between the President and 36 State Governors at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja in February. So far, about 20 governors have submitted reports expressing their support for state police to the National Economic Council. In furtherance of the move, the House of Representatives on February 20, 2024, passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill 2023 (Establishment of State Police) HB 617 for a second reading.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, thanked participants at the dialogue, especially President Tinubu, Shettima, Abdulsalami and Jonathan for lending their voices to the state police discourse. Abbas said the contributions of the former heads of state would provide direction to the dialogue, given the dimension of insecurity in the country. In his address, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Ben Kalu, said the National Assembly is considering a bill to establish state police. He stressed that other countries, such as “the United States of America, have a multi-layer police system with federal, state, county and the FBI.”
The Speaker of the House however, noted that the National Assembly entirely do not have a fixed position on state police, emphasising that their role is to facilitate a dialogue and generate consensus. “The House of Representatives is aware of the divisive and polarising arguments surrounding the issue under review. Let me state categorically that the House and indeed, the National Assembly does not have a fixed position. Our role is to facilitate a dialogue and generate consensus. “In discussions as significant as this, it is imperative that we approach each debate with objectivity and neutrality. We must acknowledge our biases and set them aside in favour of what is most beneficial for our dear country. Our discussions should be marked not by the pursuit of personal or political gains but by a steadfast commitment to the common good,” he said.
Present at the event were the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam; Minister of Budget and National Development, Dr. Atiku Bagudu, and Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri. Others were former Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazau; the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe; the Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris, among others. In his remarks, the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi, called for action as he informed the audience of the discontent of his subjects over general insecurity. “We have not seen anybody that has a contrary opinion to this. So, technically the people have spoken. The people’s house. So, I would commend you. But please swing into action. it is about time. Do something that would be impactful to people. It is very important. “Whatever take home that you would have today, we have the entire National Assembly here. Please we are the ones feeling the heat from our people. We are traditional rulers. Our palaces are not locked. No traditional ruler in this country would dare lock his palace. It’s not possible,” he said.
The monarch also lamented the lopsidedness in the allocation of police, stating that most VIPs in Abuja have police attached to them. “But you have lots of police securing the permanent secretary, so many police in Abuja and Lagos. You only come to us when you want to go for election. That is when you come to see us. I mean our political leaders. But we are there. No problem. But enough of talking. Let’s stop talking and implement this,” Mr Ogunwusi said. Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, who was represented by Major General Kunle Ariyibi and the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam also spoke at the dialogue expressing their disposition to state policing. Other personalities at the event were the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahaman AbdulRasak, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar.
The state police bill currently before the National Assembly seeks the removal of police from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list. The exclusive list contains all items that only the federal government can act upon while the concurrent list contains issues that both the federal government and state governments can act on. In the last assembly, the state police bill was rejected by the lawmakers, who felt that state governors may abuse state police. However, in the face of rising insecurity, there seems to be a favourable disposition to the bill by the current assembly.
The bill, sponsored by Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the House, and 13 other lawmakers, was in response to the growing call for the establishment of state police owing to the deteriorating security situation in the country. The Catholic Bishops endorsed state police in their plenary meeting held several weeks ago in Abuja to combat insecurity. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) however, called for the consideration and careful study of establishing State Police to combat the growing insecurity plaguing the nation. “In view of the government’s effort to end insecurity, we recommend that the ongoing discussion about the creation of State Police be carefully studied, ” the bishops stated.
