Presidency Allays Fears Of State Police Abuse, Political Manipulation

The Presidency has allayed Nigerians’ fears that the proposed state police would be abused by politicians and other influential figures in society.

The senior special assistant to the President on Planning and Research, and secretary, Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Nnadubem Moghalu, stated this at the 2nd Annual Distinguished Parliamentary Award and Lecture Series organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps in Abuja on Monday.

Moghalu, who acknowledged concerns about the potential abuse of state police, said, however, that the framework was being designed to remain effective regardless of who occupies political office.

“Power can be abused close to home. A governor may put pressure on officers to treat a political opponent as an enemy of the state.

“There is also the danger that a local majority will seek to use the police against a minority. These are some of the concerns people have raised during our work.

“The people who raise these concerns are asking necessary questions, and any serious case for state police must answer them.

“Our institutions must be designed to work even when people we distrust hold power. Personal assurances from today’s officeholders cannot carry that responsibility,” he said.

Moghalu said the law must define authority clearly and make its misuse answerable.

“How the police treat a person with little money and no influential connections tells us something profound about the country we are.

“If that person can seek protection and demand fair treatment, citizenship has practical meaning. If they cannot, our declarations of equality remain incomplete.

“This reform asks us to decide how much the life and liberty of each Nigerian will count when power is exercised.

According to him, state police had become necessary because of the limitations of the current centralised policing structure.

He noted that Nigeria has about 380,000 police officers serving a population of more than 200 million, which translates to roughly one officer for every 650 citizens, compared with an international benchmark of about one officer for every 400 citizens.

Moghalu observed that the same pool of active officers is expected to respond to ordinary crimes as well as terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other major security threats.

He said spreading such responsibilities across federal and state policing structures would provide a more practical system, with state police handling community-level matters while the Federal Police retains responsibility for crimes that cross state boundaries or require national coordination.

Moghalu warned that the reform would amount to a failure if it merely transferred the weaknesses of the existing system to state-level institutions.

“If these reforms merely federalise the status quo, distributing familiar failures across more institutions, they will have failed,” he added.

Moghalu disclosed that the National Assembly had already transmitted the constitutional amendment Bill required for the proposed State Police arrangement to the State Houses of Assembly.

According to him, four states, Edo, Rivers, Osun and Oyo, had approved the Bill at the time of preparing his lecture, while 24 states were required to meet the constitutional threshold.

He stressed that the constitutional amendment and the National Policing Bill being prepared by the Presidential Working Group were distinct processes.

“The amendment would create a constitutional basis for the dual policing model. The National Policing Bill is intended to provide the operational framework through which that constitutional model can work,” he said.

Moghalu said constitutional amendment alone could not create an effective police institution, noting that recruitment, training, equipment and administrative capacity would still be required.

“An alteration to the Constitution cannot, by itself, recruit and train an officer or equip a police station. It cannot create the administrative capacity to investigate a crime. Those tasks require preparation and resources, and they take time,” he said.

He said President Tinubu had appointed the Presidential Working Group before the constitutional process was completed to enable preparations for the legislative, financial and administrative implications of the reform.

Moghalu said the final draft would be transmitted to the National Assembly after validation by the Working Group and the Ministry of Justice.

He added that the Bill would be published on www.nationalpolicingbill.com upon transmission to the National Assembly, enabling Nigerians to examine the complete text and submit observations.

Moghalu said that implementing the proposed legislation would require sustained funding and administrative discipline, while courts and other justice institutions would also have to fulfil their responsibilities effectively.

Moghalu also urged Nigerians to participate actively in the legislative process when the National Policing Bill was published, saying criticism and public scrutiny would help improve the final law.

For his part, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, urged journalists to examine legislation and public policies beyond partisan considerations, focusing on their principles, provisions and likely consequences.

Represented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akin Rotimi, the Speaker said the media had a critical role in Nigeria’s democratic development and should help steer national conversations away from partisan considerations.

He said the proposed legislation should not be judged by who proposed or supported it, while public policies should be assessed on their merits rather than by which section of the country appeared to favour them.

“We do not expect the Press Corps to become an echo chamber for Parliament. Its independence is precisely what gives its work credibility,” Abbas said.

In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, said the Force is supportive of the constitutional and legislative efforts aimed at strengthening law enforcement and improving community safety.

Represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police Suleiman Gulma, Disu said security remained a baseline requirement for socio-economic stability, stressing the need for robust, transparent and multi-stakeholder discussions as Nigeria considers reforms to its security architecture.

“As our nation evaluates modern security structures, engaging in robust, transparent, and multi-stakeholder conversations about state policing, community engagement, and decentralisation is essential for sustainable progress,” he said.

Also speaking, Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, expressed support for the establishment of State Police in Nigeria, saying policing must be brought closer to the people to effectively address the peculiar security challenges confronting communities.

Represented by the All Progressives Congress National Vice Chairman (North Central), Muazu Bawa Rijau, Bago said the rising rate of crime and insecurity in the country had made it necessary to develop a more effective security architecture capable of responding to the peculiar challenges of individual communities.

“When we look at the rate of crime and insecurity in Nigeria, it becomes clear that there is a need for a more effective security architecture that can respond to the peculiar challenges of our communities.

“Based on the problems we face, everything happens in our communities and cities. This is why we believe there is a need to bring policing closer to the people,” he said.

The former lawmaker said Niger State had taken a position in support of establishing State Police, expressing confidence that other states were also making positive moves to support the initiative.

“We recognise that the issue of security affects everyone, regardless of political party or background. The people want a system that will guarantee their safety, protect their communities and enable them to go about their daily activities without fear,” he said.

Also, former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, threw his weight behind establishing state police, saying it could strengthen community security and federalism if supported by effective safeguards.

Elumelu, who was represented by Pastor Edward Ogude, said the debate on state police was timely, particularly at a time when national security, community safety, and the structure of Nigeria’s federal system remain important issues in public discourse.

According to him, the policing question was not merely about security but also about governance, constitutional responsibility and the relationship among the different tiers of government.

Elumelu said citizens expect security agencies to understand the peculiar circumstances of their communities and respond promptly to threats to lives and property.

He said those raised questions about whether the existing policing architecture provided sufficient room for local responsiveness while maintaining national standards and cohesion.

Elumelu urged stakeholders to approach the state police debate with seriousness, openness and commitment to the national interest.

The former Minority Leader said federalism, at its best, was about striking an effective balance between national unity and the ability of federating units to respond to the realities of their people.

He called for continuous dialogue, constitutional reflection and institutional reform to strengthen that balance.