Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo said on Thursday that the debate over establishing state police in Nigeria has shifted from whether it should exist to how it should be implemented, while calling for broader constitutional reforms to strengthen the country’s federal structure.

Speaking virtually at the ARISE News Town Hall on State Police, Soludo said the proposed security reform should form part of wider changes to Nigeria’s governance system, including revenue allocation and judicial restructuring.

“The issue is no longer whether or not to have state police. I think we have gone beyond that. The issue now is how,” he said.

The governor commended the National Assembly for advancing constitutional amendments on state policing and praised President Bola Tinubu for supporting reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s federal system.

“I see the issue of state police within the broader context of marching towards a more functional and effective federal structure,” he said.

Soludo said practical experience in Anambra had demonstrated the importance of coordinated security operations involving federal agencies, state authorities and local stakeholders.

Without dwelling extensively on the state’s security record, he said collaborative efforts had helped reclaim areas previously affected by criminal activities, dismantle criminal camps and restore normalcy in communities once disrupted by insecurity.

He disclosed that committees involving the National Security Adviser, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Chief of Staff to the President and state governors were already working on the framework for implementing state police.

According to him, key issues under consideration include operational standards, command structures and the type of equipment state police officers should be authorised to use.

“You cannot send officers carrying inferior weapons to confront criminals armed with AK-47 rifles and General Purpose Machine Guns,” he said.

Soludo, however, argued that creating state police without addressing other constitutional issues would leave Nigeria’s federal system incomplete.

He called for a review of the current revenue-sharing formula, saying states were increasingly assuming more constitutional responsibilities without receiving adequate financial resources.

“The federal government still retains about 53 per cent of federation revenue, while states share only about 26 per cent. If we truly want sustainable federalism, then we must revisit the revenue allocation formula,” he said, proposing that the federal government’s share should not exceed 40 per cent.

The governor also advocated judicial reforms, including the establishment of state supreme courts, arguing that disputes involving purely state matters should not have to pass through the federal appellate system before reaching final resolution.

He cited land disputes as an example, saying many cases in Anambra take decades to conclude because they ultimately end at the Supreme Court despite involving issues within a single state.

Soludo said faster state-based judicial systems would improve access to justice and complement the proposed decentralisation of policing.

The governor urged policymakers to treat the state police initiative as an opportunity to complete Nigeria’s transition towards a more effective federal system.

The renewed push for state police has gained momentum amid persistent insecurity across Nigeria, including banditry in the northwest, insurgency in the northeast, kidnappings and violent crimes in several parts of the country. Supporters argue that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering and response times, while critics have raised concerns that state governors could misuse such forces for political purposes.

President Tinubu recently inaugurated a committee headed by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to draft the legal framework for state police, following growing consensus among federal and state leaders that reforms are needed to address Nigeria’s security challenges. The National Assembly is also considering constitutional amendments that would provide the legal basis for the initiative.