IG,speakers clash as state police discussion heats up.
On Monday, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly stated opposing views on the call for state police creation.
While the police chief reiterated his earlier position that the Nigeria Police Force required adequate funding to address the country’s security challenges, Debo Ogundoyin, Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly, advocated for a multi-layered policing model similar to that used in other parts of the country.
They talked on Monday in Abuja during the constitutional review legislative dialogue on natural security architecture.
The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review arranged the debate under the theme “Nigeria’s peace and security: the constitutional imperative” in partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Egbetokun stated that the Nigerian Police Force is constitutionally formed under Section 214(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The clause reads as follows: “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.”
Egbetokun also highlighted Section 215(1), which allows the President to designate the Inspector General of Police based on the opinion of the Nigerian Police Council.
“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,” he told journalists.
He went on to say, “One of the most pressing and contentious issues under discussion today is the proposal to amend the constitution to allow for the establishment of state police, as well as the evaluation of a House bill that seeks legislative authority for this.”
“Let me clarify unambiguously that the National Police Force understands the rationale for the demand for state police, including the desire for locally responsive policing, faster response to community-level threats, and a decentralised law enforcement presence.
“However, our judgement based on present political, institutional, and socioeconomic realities indicates that Nigeria is not politically prepared for the establishment of state-level police powers.
“The national security picture is becoming increasingly complex. From insurgency in the North-East to banditry and abduction in the North-West and Central regions, 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.”
The IG highlighted that the constitution contained significant deficiencies that hampered the Nigerian Police Force and other security services’ ability to effectively address security concerns.
“This includes a lack of clarity on inter-agency command in joint operations, the absence of a constitutional framework for intelligence sharing and fusion, limitations on subsidiary police frameworks such as community and state policing, and constitutional silence on the ambiguities of border security.
“These issues highlight the need to recalibrate our national security system, particularly in terms of command authority, policy structure, intelligence cooperation, and the legislative foundations that regulate them.
“Most importantly, previous national security summits and engagements have resulted in strong communiques and robust recommendations,” the minister said.
Egbetokun stated that a lack of positional clarity in operational command authority, particularly in combined theatres where federal, state, and local security companies must collaborate smoothly, has resulted in court disputes, diluted accountability, and delayed tactical responses in life-threatening situations.
He urged the National Assembly to pursue legislative measures that prioritise increased federal policing capabilities while allowing for structured auxiliary help from subnational units subject to rigorous constitutional and operational constraints.
However, Ogundoyin did not support the notion, citing state parliaments’ commitment to state policing.
He stated, “As speakers of the Houses of Assembly across the country, we understand exactly where the shoes pinch when it comes to security since we all confront different sorts of insecurity in our respective areas.
“We understand the President’s unrelenting commitment to improving our security institutions and instilling confidence in our collective determination.
“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 continue to make sacrifices to protect our nation, despite working under extremely challenging conditions.”
Centralised policing, despite good intentions, has become overstretched.
“It is on this basis that the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria subscribes partially to the establishment of state police and constitutional imperative.”
According to Ogundoyin, the appeal for the establishment of state police was not only political, but also patriotic and strategic.
“We acknowledge that there have been concerns raised about potential abuse, capacity, restrictions, and inter-jurisdictional conflict.
“This is the voice of the federation’s subnationals. Whether we like it or not, we must acknowledge that Nigeria is made up of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and the Nigerian people have come together to demand 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,” according to him.