An Abia-based security expert, Chief Ndubuisi Osuagwu, has thrown his weight behind the proposed State Police system, describing it as a critical reform that can significantly strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
Osuagwu spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia, on Wednesday, advocating that the policy should be backed by strong institutional safeguards.
He said the establishment of State Police had become imperative, in view of the country’s evolving security challenges.
He argued that a decentralised policing structure would enable states to tackle crimes and conflicts that are peculiar to their local environments.
According to him, security threats vary across the different parts of the country, making it necessary for each state to develop policing strategies that reflect its unique security realities.
He explained that officers recruited and deployed in their states would possess better understanding of the local terrain, language, culture and social dynamics, thereby improving intelligence gathering, crime detection and response to security threats.
“The closer the police are to the people, the easier it becomes to obtain credible intelligence, build public trust and respond promptly to criminal activities,” he said.
In spite supporting the proposal, Osuagwu expressed concern over the possibility of abuse of State Police by political office holders, if adequate legal and institutional safeguards were not put in place.
He said the fears that some governors might use State Police to intimidate political opponents or interfere with democratic processes remained one of the major issues generating public debate over the bill.
He, however, expressed the confidence that the National Assembly was mindful of such concerns and that lawmakers had indicated that the proposed legislation would incorporate safeguards to prevent the misuse of the system by governors and other political actors.
“Such provisions are expected to promote accountability, professionalism and operational independence, while ensuring that State Police operate strictly within the ambit of the law,” he said.
On the financial implications of the proposed reform on the State Governments, Osuagwu dismissed concerns that some states might lack the resources to establish and sustain their own police services.
He said that every state had the capacity to establish a police force, provided its structure and operational size were designed in line with the state’s financial capability.
He advised State Governments to adopt realistic funding models that would guarantee effective policing without overstretching available resources.
Osuagwu expressed optimism that, if eventually signed into law and faithfully implemented, the State Police system would complement the Nigeria Police Force by improving intelligence gathering, deepening community policing, enhancing crime prevention and strengthening the overall fight against insecurity across the country.
He explained that while the proposed reform offers significant opportunities to improve internal security, its success would ultimately depend on transparent implementation, adequate funding, respect for the rule of law and sustained oversight to prevent political interference and abuse.
(NAN)
