ABUJA, Nigeria — Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, has warned that the proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria could fail if the new policing system is not backed by guaranteed funding and financial independence.
Speaking on Thursday at the ARISE NEWS Townhall on State Police, Bamidele said inadequate funding would expose state police to undue influence from politicians, wealthy individuals, corporate interests and criminal elements, thereby undermining its ability to effectively protect lives and property.
He stressed that financial autonomy would be a critical factor in determining the success of decentralised policing.
“If the state police is not well funded, it may as well be a highway to nowhere,” Bamidele said.
The Senate Leader explained that the constitutional amendment currently before the National Assembly is not intended to compel every state to immediately establish its own police force. Rather, it seeks to provide the constitutional framework that would enable states to create and operate their own police services if they choose.
According to him, the amendment proposes moving policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, thereby granting states the constitutional authority to establish state police.
“It’s not every state that will immediately, after we finish amending this constitution, go to town to say, ‘We’re launching our state police.’ All we are trying to achieve with this constitutional amendment is to move this duty from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list,” he stated.
Addressing widespread concerns over the possible misuse of state police by political office holders, Bamidele acknowledged that such fears are legitimate and must be addressed through robust legal safeguards.
He said the National Assembly is committed to enacting laws that would ensure accountability, transparency and operational independence while preventing abuse of the proposed security structure.
“The various concerns that have been expressed from different quarters are well-founded concerns that we cannot sweep under the carpet or pretend that they are not real,” he said.
The Senate Leader noted that accountability would require not only legislative intervention but also active oversight by citizens and civil society organisations.
“When it comes to issues of accountability, it’s something that will have to be addressed, both at the level of legislative intervention through the law, as well as vigilance on the part of the Nigerian people,” he added.
Bamidele further cautioned that the danger of undue influence extends beyond politicians, warning that poorly funded state police could become susceptible to manipulation by private businesses, influential organisations and criminal networks.
“It’s not only state actors or politicians that can abuse this. Business class, some other organisations, even criminals can abuse it, because he who pays the piper dictates the tune,” he warned.
To safeguard the operational independence of state police, Bamidele proposed constitutional and statutory provisions that would guarantee a stable source of funding outside the discretion of state governors.
He suggested that legislation should provide for a fixed percentage of state budgets to be dedicated to policing, with clear mechanisms governing access to and management of such funds.
“We must have a situation where there will be some first-line provisions in our law. The police chief and the police service commission must have a guaranteed source of income in a way that it will not be subject to the whims and caprices of a sitting governor,” he said.
The Senate Leader also stressed that constitutional amendment alone would not be sufficient to establish an effective state policing system, noting that comprehensive amendments to the Police Act and other relevant legislation would be necessary to define the structure, powers, operations and inter-agency relationships of state police.
He said lawmakers would also need to determine the future roles of existing paramilitary organisations and how they would coordinate with state police.
“We must see beyond constitutional amendment, because once the constitution has been amended, what is next?” he asked.
Bamidele explained that the ultimate objective of state police is to strengthen community policing and improve security at the grassroots level. However, he maintained that the initiative would deliver limited results without genuine local government autonomy.
“The whole essence of trying to emphasise on the move for state policing is because we want community policing. If we do not address the issue of local government autonomy, we will not have achieved much, even with the creation of state police,” he said.
He disclosed that the National Assembly has examined international best practices in developing a framework that would establish minimum national standards for state police operations across Nigeria.
According to him, while Nigeria has reached a stage where decentralised policing has become necessary, the success of the initiative will depend on strong legal safeguards, sustainable funding, accountability mechanisms and clearly defined operational standards.
“We are at a stage now where we must bring this to reality,” Bamidele concluded.
The renewed push for state police comes amid growing insecurity across Nigeria and increasing calls for a decentralised policing structure capable of responding more effectively to local security challenges. The National Assembly is currently considering constitutional amendments that would transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, enabling states to establish their own police services while operating within nationally prescribed standards.
