Four states approve Constitution amendment bill, 20 more to go 

The Presidency has assured Nigerians that the proposed state police system will be structured to withstand the personal influence and disposition of individual office holders.

Four states have so far approved the Constitution amendment bill seeking to establish state police in Nigeria.

Secretary of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Nnadubem Moghalu, gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja at the second Annual Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps.

The lecture, with the theme, ‘Imperative of State Police: Securing Communities, Strengthening Federalism’, held at the National Assembly Library Auditorium.

Delivering the lead paper, ‘State Police, Community Security and the Future of Federalism in Nigeria’, he said concerns about possible abuse of state police had been central to the drafting of the proposed National Policing Bill.

Moghalu explained that the proposed framework would define responsibilities clearly, establish accountability mechanisms and ensure that institutions responsible for enforcing them have the capacity to do so.

“We are trying to build a system that is as immune to the personal foibles of individuals as possible,” Moghalu stated.

He argued that state police had become necessary because the existing centralised policing structure was overstretched.

Nigeria has about 380,000 police officers for a population of more than 200 million, he noted, translating to roughly one officer for every 650 citizens.

The actual policing capacity, however, is lower because about 180,000 officers perform special protection and administrative duties, leaving roughly 200,000 for core policing functions. “That means that your ratio has now gone from one to 400 to one to 1,000. One police officer for every 1,000 citizens,” he said.

Under the proposed dual policing model, state police would handle state-level offences within their territories, while the federal police would retain responsibility for crimes that cross state boundaries or require national coordination.

He listed human trafficking, cybercrime and offences with international implications among matters that would remain under federal jurisdiction.

The two levels, he added, would need to work closely, with technology playing a major role in ensuring that criminals cannot evade justice by moving from one jurisdiction to another.

On funding, Moghalu maintained that states would support policing according to the priority they attach to security.

“You fund what you prioritise,” he remarked, noting that many governors already spend substantial resources supporting federal security agencies in their states.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, commended the Press Corps for creating a platform for national discussion.

Represented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, the Speaker urged the media to assess legislation based on evidence, principles and likely consequences rather than partisan considerations.

Moghalu disclosed that the assemblies of the four states had begun considering the bill after the National Assembly transmitted it to them as part of the constitutional alteration process.

According to him, Edo, Oyo, Osun and Rivers states had approved the bill as of the time he prepared his lecture.

He noted that the constitutional process requires the approval of at least 24 of the 36 Houses of Assembly before the amendment can proceed.