IG, assemblies differ on state police

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly on Monday expressed divergent views on the advocacy for state police creation to address the growing insecurity across the country.

Egbetokun reiterated his earlier position that what the Nigeria Police Force needed to tackle the security challenges in the country was adequate funding, while the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin, called for a multi-layered policing model as obtained in other parts of the country.

They spoke in Abuja on Monday at the constitutional review legislative dialogue on the natural security architecture with the theme “Nigeria’s peace and security: the constitutional imperative”, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Egbetokun said the Nigerian Police Force is constitutionally established under section 214(1) of the 1999 constitution as amended, which provides that “There shall be a police force for Nigeria which shall be known as the Nigerian police force and subject to the provisions of this section, no other police force shall be established for the federation or any part thereof.”

He also cited Section 215(1), which provides for the appointment of the Inspector General of Police by the President on the advice of the Nigerian Police Council.

He stated, “These constitutional provisions make clear the centralised character of policing in Nigeria and the operational authority entrusted to the Inspector General of Police under the supervision of the President and Police Council. One of the most pressing and controversial issues under discussion today is the proposal to amend the constitution to allow for the establishment of state police, including the evaluation of a House bill which seeks to provide legislative authority for this.

“Let me state unequivocally that the National Police Force acknowledges the rationale behind the demand for state police, including the desire for locally responsive policing, quicker reaction to community-level threats, and decentralised law enforcement presence. However, our assessment based on current political, institutional and socio-economic realities suggests that Nigeria is not politically prepared for the initialisation of police powers at the state level.

Our national security landscape is growing increasingly complex. From the insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnapping in the North-West and central regions, to secessionist violence in the South-East, and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. We are confronted with a multifaceted array of tracks, each exposing gaps not only in our security capabilities but more fundamentally in our constitutional architecture and constitutional institutional coordination mechanisms.”

According to him, the 1999 constitution has created certain omissions that impede the effective performance of the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies in addressing the challenges of security.

“This includes the lack of clarity on inter-agency command in joint operations, absence of a constitutional framework for intelligence sharing and fusion, restrictions on subsidiary policing frameworks like community and state policing and constitutional silence on the vagueness of border security.

“These challenges underscore the objective to recalibrate our national security framework, especially as it pertains to command authority, policy structure, intelligence coordination, and the legislative underpinnings that govern them. Most importantly, previous national security summits and engagements have resulted in strong communiques and robust recommendations.

“As the Inspector General of Police, I must emphasise the importance of clarifying operational command authority, especially in joint theatres where federal, state, and local security companies must work seamlessly.

“A lack of positional clarity in this area can and has led to judicial disputes, diluted accountability and delayed tactical responses in life-threatening situations. Furthermore, intelligence-sharing mechanisms require not only statutory reinforcement but also constitutional embedding.”

He added, “Without a clear constitutional framework for timely, secure, and mandatory intelligence exchange, we cannot effectively preempt or neutralise imagined trends.

“Key concerns include the possibility of political misuse of police powers at the state level, lack of funding capacity by most states to maintain and equip a state control force, the potential for fragmentation of national security, intelligence and command, and the absence of a regulatory architecture to ensure standard and operational cohesion.

“Instead of fragmenting our policy authority, we propose that the focus of constitutional and legislative reform be directed towards strengthening the Nigerian Police Force through improved funding and autonomy, establishing state and community policing frameworks under the Nigerian Police Force’s provision, standardising recruitment, training and discipline across all policing functions.”

He called on the National Assembly to consider legislative reforms that prioritise “Enhanced federal policing capacity while allowing for structured auxiliary support from sub-national units under strict constitutional and operational safeguards.”

This did not sit well with Ogundoyin, who pledged the commitment of state parliaments to state policing.

He said, “As the Speaker of the House of Assemblies nationwide, we know exactly where the shoe pinches when it comes to security because we all face our different types of insecurity in our various states.

“We know that the president’s commitment is unwavering in strengthening our security institutions and to continue to inspire confidence in our collective resolve.

“This is an opportunity to align our legislative priorities with the realities faced by our people, ensuring that the constitutional and legal framework of security evolves to address the present and future challenges of the Nigerian Police Force and other agencies who despite working under extremely challenging conditions, continue to make sacrifices to protect our nation.

It is now evident that a centralised policing structure, no matter how well-intentioned, has become overstretched. It is on this basis that the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria subscribe partially to the establishment of state police and constitutional imperative. “

He stated that the call for the creation of state police is not merely a political position but a patriotic and strategic necessity. We recognise that concerns have been raised regarding the potential abuse, the capacity, the limitations and inter-jurisdictional conflict.

“This is the voice of the sub-nationals in this federation. Whether we like it or not, we have to recognise that the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory make up Nigeria, and the Nigerian people are here calling for state police.

“Beyond state policing, the conference also lends its voice to the need for enhanced intelligence sharing and interagency coordination, improved funding, training, and welfare for security personnel, a stronger legal framework to address emerging threats such as cybercrime, transnational terrorism, and arms reformation,” he added.