State Police and light at the end of the tunnel

Whenever the above idiom is used, it must be unambiguous. This is because it could be a ray of hope or that of a moving train. In this context, it is a ray of hope for those of us who are supporters of the state police. For those who are against it, the light is that of a moving train, which could crush anyone in the tunnel.

After prevaricating for years on the critical issue, the National Assembly passed the bill last month… by the House of Representatives, namely on June 10, 2026, and subsequently by the Senate on June 24, 2026. What remains now is the consensus of at least 24 states, and the long-drawn-out drama will come to an end.

I supported the creation of the state police long before the 2014 National Confab, established by the Jonathan administration, endorsed the idea in one of its recommendations. A year later, the Jonathan government was dismissed. His successor, Muhammadu Buhari, a product of the system who has no respect for the police system, kept the noble idea under wraps during his eight years in office, despite strident appeals and support.

Many opponents of the state police establishment, especially from the insecurity-ravaged North, have pegged their position on the possible abuse or misuse of the system by state governors who hold absolute power in their domains. Some high-profile politicians even disapproved of the timing… as the 2027 general election approaches.

They repeatedly cite the manipulation of the Independent State Election Commission (SIEC) as a case study, insisting that these high-handed CEOs would turn the system into their personal militias to settle ethno-political scores, as well as meet running costs where regular salaries are not paid or the minimum wage has not been fully implemented. But this should no longer be the case because state governments now see allocations deemed to be in excess of requirements since the Tinubu administration stopped paying fuel subsidies.

Some antagonists also argue that whatever maladies, such as bribery and corruption, among other sins, plaguing the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), making them unpopular, would also haunt the new system in the long run.

I must confess that at one point I also had some doubts about my defense, knowing how overzealous our governors can be. It was like being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. But I would rather bet swimming in the sea than be at the mercy of the devil… the sea being the state police.

What has pushed Nigerians to call for the decentralization of the police system are the pervasive security challenges, first raised by the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast in 2009, and subsequently spread to other parts of the country, spreading banditry, kidnapping and related crimes.

However, the National Assembly anticipated concerns about abuses and inserted strict barriers in the Constitution Amendment (State Police) Bill, 2026, to hinder governors from expected misuse of the new system in their various spheres.

These are some of the protections:

· Commissioners can reject illegal orders –

A state police commissioner is not required to obey directives that are illegal, unconstitutional, or violate human rights. Any dispute is transferred to the National Police Council, whose decision is binding on both the governor and state forces.

· Explicit prohibitions against political abuse –

Governors are legally prohibited from deploying state police to harass opponents, quell protests, stifle free speech or advance ethnic or religious agendas.

· Independent Commissions of the State Police Service –

Recruitment, promotions and discipline must be handled by independent commissions. Executive governors cannot hire or fire officials at will. The appointment or removal of a Commissioner requires the involvement of the National Police Council and a supermajority vote in the State House of Assembly.

Federal Standards and Regulatory Oversight –

States must follow national standards established by the National Assembly, covering recruitment criteria, permitted firearms, training manuals, and accountability systems.

· Federal Emergency Response Clause –

The federal government retains the power to take control of a state’s police based on defined triggers such as breakdowns of law and order, widespread human rights abuses, or threats to national security.

With the above measures in place, the broad powers of state governors will be reduced, ensuring a balance of power.

With these checks and balances in place, it will not be easy for governors to abuse the system. We are also entering an era where governors will take full responsibility for the security of their domains as Chief Security Officer. They can no longer blame the federal government for its failure to protect their states. Now they will have to justify the huge security votes they collect on a monthly basis while the federal government bears the brunt.

Furthermore… the monthly allocations to the States have tripled. Governors will have no excuse not to embrace the new system without breaking a sweat. After all, the safety of life and well-being of citizens is the primary responsibility of the government, as enshrined in Section 14 (2)(b) of the Constitution as amended. Without security, development will take off. Nigerians live with their hearts in their mouths. There is palpable fear everywhere, even in the comfort of your own home, not to mention places like the farm, highways, etc. Currently, no one can beat their chest like a gorilla when leaving home in the morning and declare with certainty that “I will be back”. No one… not even our great men!

A notorious bandit boss operating in the North West was at his best recently when he declared that he could kidnap any governor on the highway despite the security laager formed around him!

One positive thing that gladdens my heart in the fight against these criminal elements is that we have technology on our side. I recently recalled a friend’s experience when he visited his son in Canada. Pressured by nature on the highway, he asked his son to pull over so he could relax. But his son reminded him that he was not in Nigeria and that there was no hiding place for anyone in that country. So my friend was forced to lock the bladder until they got home.

Unknown to me, the Enugu State Government has replicated Canada here in Nigeria. A colleague had mentioned the Enugu experience to me, but I dismissed it as impossible anywhere in the country until I saw the video of the Inspector General of Police, Tajudeen Disu, emerging with the state governor, Peter Mbah, from the security control room where the entire state was kept under tight surveillance. IGP Disu expressed surprise at what he saw. From the control room, virtually all ungoverned spaces, such as forests, now a favorite hideout for criminals, are under surveillance, and security forces can storm any location within minutes, regardless of distance from the state capital. The Enugu State Government has demonstrated that technology-based security policing is feasible, especially for states ravaged by banditry and terrorism across Niger.

The IGP urged other states to visit Enugu and imitate the model. What blew me away was Disu’s admission that he never knew there was a control center there with cutting-edge technology until he visited the facility. As I have argued here recently, modern warfare or security management is conducted with technology. State governments should not be intimidated by recruiting massive human resources to protect their domains when new systems come online. Technologies like surveillance and attack drones would make the job easy. In fact he will take care of 50% of the operations. Additionally, implementing the technology in every state will drastically reduce crime rates. This is because it will serve as a deterrent. The thought that there is no longer any hiding place for them and that their movements are monitored like hawks by a control room becomes discouraging.

Another positive aspect of the birth of the state police system is that it would free many personnel from state-related duties. All the dozens of police officers assigned to state governors and other non-federal VIPs would make way for state police personnel. Remember how it has become impossible to wean Nigerian Police Force personnel from VIPs in all states. The aggregation of federal and state police personnel will also bring us closer to achieving the United Nations recommendation of one police officer for every 600 civilians.

We await the consensus of the state assemblies as quickly as the National Assembly passed the bill.