Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has renewed calls for the establishment of state police, arguing that governors cannot effectively function as chief security officers of their states without operational control over policing.
Oshiomhole made the remarks on Thursday during a Town Hall programme on state policing aired on Arise Television, where he advocated a decentralised policing system as a practical solution to Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
The lawmaker maintained that the current policing arrangement places governors in a contradictory position by assigning them responsibility for security without granting them the constitutional authority to direct police operations.
According to him, while state governments invest heavily in supporting security agencies through the provision of logistics, vehicles, accommodation, communication equipment and other operational resources, governors lack the powers to recruit, deploy, promote or discipline police personnel operating within their states.
He argued that this disconnect has weakened accountability and undermined efforts to tackle insecurity across the country.
"Various state governors can't be the Chief Security Officers of their respective states without operational control over policing," Oshiomhole said.
He added that decentralised policing would not only strengthen security architecture but also ensure that responsibility for maintaining law and order is clearly defined.
According to the former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), a state police system would bring policing closer to the people, improve intelligence gathering and enable quicker responses to emerging security threats.
Oshiomhole dismissed concerns that state police could be abused by governors for political purposes, insisting that abuse of power is not peculiar to a decentralised policing system.
He noted that instances of misuse of authority already occur under the existing centrally controlled police structure, stressing that the solution lies in strengthening democratic institutions, legal safeguards and public oversight rather than rejecting state policing altogether.
He further argued that Nigeria's federal structure makes a compelling case for decentralised policing, saying the country's security framework should reflect the principles of true federalism.
The senator urged the National Assembly and other critical stakeholders to move beyond prolonged debates on the issue and ensure the implementation of the proposed reforms.
"Decentralised policing would improve security, clarify responsibility and align Nigeria's federal system with its constitutional structure. Lawmakers should move from debate to its implementation," he said.
His comments come amid renewed national conversations on restructuring the country's security architecture in response to persistent incidents of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other violent crimes across several states.
The debate over state police has gained significant momentum in recent months, with proponents arguing that locally controlled police formations would enhance community policing, improve intelligence gathering and boost accountability in tackling crime.
Opponents, however, have expressed concerns that state police could be manipulated by state governments to intimidate political opponents and interfere in electoral processes, advocating stronger institutional safeguards before any constitutional amendment is implemented.
Meanwhile, the push for state police has received legislative backing, with both chambers of the National Assembly having passed a bill seeking the creation of state police as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria's policing system.
The proposal is expected to undergo further constitutional processes before it can become law, as stakeholders continue consultations on the framework for its implementation.
