A member of the Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) that packaged the 2014 national conference, Colonel Tony Nyiam (rtd), has argued that state police services in Nigeria should be overseen by independent Police Service Commissions rather than state governors.

Speaking on the ongoing debate over the creation and administration of state police, Nyiam said allowing governors to directly control state police formations could undermine their independence and open the door to political interference.

According to him, the appropriate authority for supervising the state police should be a State Police Service Commission (PSC) composed of representatives from various segments of society, rather than the executive arm of government.

“Never, in terms of universal good governance practices, should the executive, legislative or judicial arm of a state government directly control a state police service,” he said.

Nyiam, who also played a role in the 1990 Major Gideon Orkah coup, further proposed that members of the police commission should be drawn from faith-based organisations, traditional institutions, labour unions, the legal profession, civil society organisations and other community groups.

He suggested that such a body could include representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Muslim organisations, traditional African religious institutions, traditional rulers, trade and labour unions, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civic groups.

According to him, broad-based representation would help insulate state police services from partisan political influence and ensure accountability to the public.

Nyiam further argued that governance should extend beyond the conventional executive, legislative and judicial branches, describing the media and organised civil society as important components of democratic governance.

He maintained that involving these groups in the oversight structure of state police would strengthen transparency and public trust.

The retired military officer’s comments come amid renewed discussions about establishing state police as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s growing security challenges.

While supporters of state police argue that decentralised policing would improve local intelligence gathering and response to crime, critics have expressed concerns about the potential misuse of such forces by state governments.

Nyiam said an independent oversight mechanism remains essential if state police are to operate effectively and retain public confidence.