The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam has declared that state police remains the best way to enhance local responsiveness, improve crime prevention, and strengthen security at the grassroots level.
Speaking at the National Dialogue on State Policing with the theme, “Pathways to Peace: Reimaging Policing in Nigeria” held on Monday in Abuja, the minister proposed a model for implementing state policing in Nigeria, suggesting a decentralised structure where each state manages its police force under a framework that ensures cooperation and coordination with federal agencies.
He said: “This model would involve recruiting, training, and equipping state police officers to meet professional standards while ensuring accountability and oversight mechanisms are in place.”
Gaidam also recommended an institutional and legal framework that delineates the roles, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of state police forces within the broader national security architecture.
“This framework should include mechanisms for information sharing, collaboration, and coordination between state and federal agencies to address cross-border and transnational security challenges effectively,” he stressed.
The minister further reiterated the need for a comprehensive national dialogue involving stakeholders at all levels to deliberate on implementing state Police in Nigeria, taking into account the unique challenges and opportunities present in the country’s diverse socio-political landscape.
“This dialogue should aim to build consensus on the way forward and develop a roadmap for the phased implementation of state policing, ensuring that it contributes to enhancing security, upholding the rule of law, and protecting the rights of all citizens across the nation,” he explained.
Gaidam noted that the recent spate of kidnappings, banditry, activities of terrorists, and communal clashes have cast a dark shadow over our country, causing fear, pain, and uncertainty among the people, adding that the issues not only threaten lives, but also have severe repercussions on our economy, social cohesion, and overall development.
Gaidam however acknowledged that the state police force is not without its challenges and one potential disadvantage is the risk of political interference and abuse of power at the state level. Without proper checks and balances, state police forces could be manipulated for political gain or to suppress dissent, leading to a deterioration of the rule of law and human rights abuses.
Also speaking, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, represented by the AIG Ben Okolo listed the challenges militating against the police performance to include inadequate manpower; inadequate operational equipment -arms and ammunition, communication equipment, drones, armoured vehicles, and inadequate training as well as office and accommodation.
In his remarks, former President Goodluck Jonathan said: “There is no way we can manage internal security if the state government cannot have state Police and the issue is how it operates within the national security architecture.
“We should concentrate on how it would not be abused by state actors and Police must not be used for the advantage of sitting governors and the use of Police for elections has to be reviewed.”