The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Anthony Ojukwu, has warned that the proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria must be backed by strong human rights safeguards and effective oversight to prevent the system from becoming an avenue for political repression and abuse of citizens.
 
Ojukwu gave the warning while speaking during a panel session at the 66th General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, where he advocated the decentralisation of policing to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
 
He, however, cautioned against creating a policing structure that could be exploited for political repression, unlawful arrests, torture, intimidation and other violations of citizens’ fundamental rights.
 
He stressed that the proposed National Policing Bill must be carefully drafted to provide adequate mechanisms for accountability and oversight, warning that state police without proper checks and balances could create another security challenge for the country.
 
“We must insist that when the National Policing Bill comes, it must be well drafted. There must be a board that runs it. There must be oversight. Otherwise, it will become another problem,” he cautioned.
 
The NHRC boss said effective policing should not be measured only by the ability of law enforcement agencies to apprehend suspects, but also by the extent to which they respect human dignity, due process, the rule of law and fundamental rights.
 
He urged lawyers and citizens to remain vigilant and demand accountability from security agencies, particularly in the exercise of their powers of arrest.
 
“Lawyers should be the people to insist on the right thing to do. If the police are going to arrest anybody, insist on the right procedure. Don’t let them abuse power. We have to watch them,” Ojukwu said.
 
He maintained that security and human rights should not be treated as competing objectives, stressing that sustainable security could only be achieved when policing is anchored on legality, professionalism, accountability and respect for human rights.
 

Ojukwu said persistent insecurity and delayed security responses had weakened public confidence in government institutions, leaving many Nigerians feeling that their safety depended more on chance than on an effective security system.
 
“Our people live by God’s grace because the system is not working. That must change,” he said.
 
He further argued that Nigeria could no longer sustain a policing structure in which a limited number of police officers are expected to secure millions of citizens across diverse communities and security environments.
 
The NHRC Executive Secretary therefore called for a policing system capable of responding more effectively to local security realities, while insisting that any decentralisation of policing must be accompanied by safeguards against abuse.