Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, Director-General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research (IPSPR), Charles Omole, and other stakeholders have raised concerns over the pitfalls embedded in the proposed state policy to establish state police across Nigeria. The Senate recently passed a constitutional amendment bill to decentralize policing, but the critics say the plan could backfire without safeguards.
Speaking on the implications, Agbakoba warned that the policy risks being undermined by Nigeria’s lack of true federalism, inadequate funding structures, and weak democratic institutions.
Omole and other analysts echoed similar concerns, arguing that without clear legal and financial frameworks, state police could become tools of political intimidation in the hands of governors.
The experts cautioned that while decentralization may improve local security response, the current proposal does not address core issues such as accountability, operational funding, and checks against abuse. They urged the National Assembly and state assemblies to review the bill to prevent the replication of existing policing failures at the state level.
The bill is now awaiting ratification by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly to take effect.
In a letter dated June 26 to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, titled “Beyond State Police: Why Nigeria Must Constitutionally Insulate Its Institutions from Executive Interference,” Agbakoba described the proposed reform as a welcome development capable of improving public security.
“I commend the President for transmitting to the National Assembly an executive Bill proposing the amendment of Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution to introduce the long-awaited state police. This is a welcome development that will, if properly implemented, enhance public security and bring law enforcement closer to the communities it serves,” he wrote.
The former Nigerian Bar Association president, however, argued that devolving policing powers should be accompanied by constitutional reforms that transfer additional responsibilities, including driver’s licences, prisons, marriage registration, and business name registration, to states and local governments.
Agbakoba warned that without constitutional safeguards, state police could suffer the same fate as state independent electoral commissions and local governments, which he said had been weakened by executive control.
“If state police are simply handed to governors without these protections, they will inevitably become tools of oppression, and Nigeria will have traded one problem for a far worse one,” he stated.
Drawing from South Africa’s constitutional framework, Agbakoba urged the Federal Government to grant key institutions, including the police, electoral bodies and anti-corruption agencies, constitutional independence through secure tenure, guaranteed funding and accountability to the legislature rather than the executive.
He also proposed a shared appointment and removal process for state police leadership, with the Police Service Commission recommending candidates, governors making appointments and State Houses of Assembly confirming them.
Also, Omole, the IPSPR boss faulted claims that President Bola Tinubu’s push for state police is intended to influence the 2027 general election, describing the allegation as “not true” and “practically impossible”.
Omole, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, argued that no state would be able to establish a functional state police service before the next general election because of the constitutional, legal, and operational processes required.
“I do not see any state having state police before the next election, so those who are driving the fact that maybe the President is doing it so that he can use it for the next election, that can’t happen because the technicalities are just not there,” the lawyer said on Monday.
Rejecting suggestions that the proposal was designed to manipulate elections, Omole said, “It is not true. It is practically impossible to do it.
“If you are the President and, in quote, ‘you want to rig an election’, is it not easier for you to use one police force that you control? Why will you want to create 36 police services? It’s a more convoluted way to do it.”
“I think what the President probably wants to do is finalise every legal framework so that when the next term starts, if he wins the election, it’s just straight to implementation. We are no longer doing any paperwork,” he said.
Omole called for a federal reform technical team to redesign policing, warning that replicating the Nigeria Police at the state level and ignoring operational complexities like jurisdiction and weapons could worsen security challenges.
Retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, warned that the proposed state police system in Nigeria will fail if it is dominated by politicians or formed from vigilante groups, political thugs and party loyalists.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Inalegwu said the success of state police would depend largely on a transparent recruitment process that guarantees professionalism and political neutrality.
“We are praying that they will not use members of vigilante, members of thugs, supporters of political parties or individuals to form the new class of this police force,” Inalegwu stated.
While acknowledging that the establishment of State police will add more manpower to policing in the country, the former Kogi State Commissioner of Police explained that the greatest danger lies in the composition of the proposed force.
According to him, recruiting people with partisan or vigilante backgrounds would undermine the credibility of state police and turn it into an instrument of political interests rather than public service
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He stressed the need for transparent recruitment processes, professional standards and strong oversight mechanisms to ensure that any state police structure operates strictly within the law.
Inalegwu further argued that the proposal for state police should be approached with caution because of the weakness of public institutions.
“Our institutions are very weak and are not strong enough to withstand the torment of desperate politicians.”
He warned that unless institutions are strengthened, state-controlled police forces could become vulnerable to political interference and be used as tools of intimidation rather than impartial law enforcement.
Financial analyst, who craved for anonymity noted that the timing is wrong.
Highlighting the importance of policing to national development, he however observed that with the high level of suspicion and trust deficit between the people and the government, embarking on such a critical policy decision will increase the level of distrust among the impoverished citizens.
Another agitated Nigerian wondered the level of speed with which the National Assembly passed the bill, noting that the legislators ought to have embarked on stakeholders inputs through public hearing sessions.
“It is disheartening seeing the National Assembly members embarking on hasty passage of the bill, even when they failed Nigerians in giving the much needed attention to the rising insecurity in the country. This is the same Senate which contemplated security summit, but could not see through the light of the day till this moment. So, are they just realising of the urgency in tackling the insecurity? It’s unfortunate,” he said
Despite the public criticism Senate has continued to defend its action.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the proposal as “a child of necessity rather than political expediency” and “a product of national consensus, not cynicism.”
In a statement, Bamidele said the creation of state police had become a matter of urgent public importance in view of the country’s security challenges. He noted that the process of incorporating state police into Nigeria’s governance structure did not begin recently but has evolved over time.
Despite opposing views, the Senate leader maintained that Nigerians largely support the bill, expressing confidence that it would significantly reduce insecurity at the subnational level.
