All 36 states have submitted their views on the establishment of state police, with most agreeing on the necessity of state-controlled policing.
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, shared this update with State House Correspondents on Thursday, following the 147th meeting of the National Economic Council at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
He said, “Today, one of the discussions we had at the NEC meeting was the update on the creation of state police. As you are aware, there was a submission by states towards the establishment of state police.
“Thirty-six states have submitted, minus the FCT. The FCT is not a state; they explained why they have not submitted it. But 36 states have all submitted their own positions on state police.
“From what is available, virtually most of the states are in agreement with the establishment of state police in Nigeria. I want to say here clearly that most of us are in agreement with the establishment of state police.”
Sani explained that the consensus was driven by the widespread security challenges faced by states. He emphasized the critical issue of ungoverned spaces in Nigeria and the severe shortage of security personnel, including police, military, and other agencies, which are unable to effectively cover all regions.
“That is why most of us agreed that the establishment of state police in Nigeria is the way forward towards addressing the problem of insecurity in our own country,” he stated.
However, the council deferred final discussions until January, when a detailed report from the NEC secretariat will be presented for deliberation.
“But today, the council decided to step down the discussion until the next council meeting because we need to come up with a report from the secretariat. And after the report, there will be deliberation at the next NEC meeting, which will likely take place in January.
“Not only that; there was also a resolution in the last NEC meeting, which today the secretariat agreed on, stating that there will be further stakeholder engagement after the panel and deliberation by the members of the NEC.”
At its 146th meeting on November 21, the council gave Adamawa, Kebbi and Kwara states and the FCT one week (November 28) to submit their positions on the proposed creation of state police.
“The council mandated these remaining states and FCT to make their submissions within the next one week,” the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr Duoye Diri, told State House Correspondents.
Diri noted that the three states and the nation’s capital were the only entities yet to submit their reports out of the 36 states.
On February 15, 2024, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the 36 states, initiated discussions aimed at establishing state police. This was part of an agreement reached during an emergency meeting between President Bola Tinubu and state governors at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
The talks were prompted by rising insecurity across the country, increasing food prices, and ongoing economic challenges.
Speaking to State House Correspondents afterwards, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, clarified that the process was still in its early stages and would take shape after further discussions among stakeholders.
“The Federal Government and the state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police,” said Idris, adding that “This is still going to be further discussed.”
He explained, “A lot of work must be done in that direction. But if our government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, this is a significant shift.”
Two days prior, the House of Representatives announced that it was considering a legislative bill titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Provide for the Establishment of State Police and Related Matters.”
Following this development, the National Economic Council (NEC) instructed each state to submit detailed reports outlining their positions and plans for implementing state police.
By March 2024, 16 states had submitted their reports, with the remaining 20 expected to do so by May. In April 2024, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum revealed that the decisions from the remaining 20 governors were ready for submission to the NEC, signaling a unified commitment among the states to establish state police forces.
Despite these efforts, as of the latest NEC meeting, the implementation of state police was still in the planning stages, with the Federal Government and state authorities continuing to debate the necessary constitutional amendments to enable states to create and manage their own police forces.
When asked about the delays over the past nine months, the Bayelsa Governor explained that the council was focused on accelerating the process and ensuring that all reports would be submitted by November 28.
“On the issue of state police today, when the decision was taken, even before it was, the three states in question, one of them [Adamawa] was represented by the Deputy Governor, had earlier made submissions that they presented their report.
“So that was why NEC could not come out immediately to say ‘A or B,’ but rather give a timeline. And that timeline, as you can see, was very short: one week for them to go and do whatever they are doing so that decisions will be made by the next NEC meeting. And, from how they reacted, I’m sure that maybe we have some bureaucracy regarding the submission.”
The debate over the creation of state police in Nigeria is largely driven by concerns about the centralised structure of the Nigerian Police Force, which many security experts view as inadequate for tackling the unique security challenges faced by the country’s diverse regions.
Supporters argue that state police would bring law enforcement closer to local communities, improve policing effectiveness, and allow for greater local control over security issues.
On the other hand, critics worry that state police could lead to power abuse, especially in states with strong political control, potentially escalating regional tensions and threatening national unity.
