By Our Correspondent
The Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has warned that Nigeria's proposed state police system could fail to achieve its objectives unless it is backed by guaranteed funding, financial autonomy and strong legal safeguards to protect it from political interference.
Bamidele gave the warning on Thursday while speaking at the ARISE NEWS Townhall on State Police, where he argued that decentralising policing without establishing a sustainable financing framework would expose state police forces to manipulation by political office holders, influential individuals, corporate interests and criminal networks.
According to him, the success or failure of state policing will depend not merely on constitutional amendments but on the ability of governments to create institutions that are adequately funded, professionally managed and insulated from undue influence.
"If the state police is not well funded, it may as well be a highway to nowhere," Bamidele declared.
He explained that the constitutional amendment currently being considered by the National Assembly seeks to transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, thereby empowering states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
The Senate Leader clarified that the proposed amendment would not compel every state to immediately create a state police outfit, but would instead provide the constitutional authority for states willing and able to establish such institutions.
He said the framework recognises the varying financial capacities and security priorities of different states, allowing each to determine when and how to establish a state police service.
Addressing widespread concerns that governors could misuse state police for political purposes, Bamidele acknowledged that such fears were legitimate but insisted they could be addressed through carefully designed legal safeguards.
He argued that the legislation establishing state police should provide mechanisms that guarantee operational independence and shield security agencies from undue political control.
To strengthen accountability, Bamidele proposed that the law should mandate a fixed percentage of every state's annual budget to be allocated directly to policing, ensuring that funding is not left solely to the discretion of state governors.
According to him, guaranteed statutory funding would provide stability, improve operational efficiency and reduce the risk of financial manipulation capable of undermining professionalism within state police organisations.
The senator further stressed that constitutional amendments alone would not be sufficient to establish an effective decentralised policing system.
He maintained that the Police Act and other related laws would also require comprehensive amendments to clearly define the structure, operational procedures, recruitment standards, oversight mechanisms and relationship between state police formations and existing federal security agencies.
Bamidele said such legal clarity would be essential to prevent jurisdictional conflicts, duplication of responsibilities and operational inefficiencies between different law enforcement institutions.
He also linked the effectiveness of state policing to the broader issue of local government autonomy, arguing that grassroots governance must be strengthened if decentralised policing is to succeed.
According to him, local governments remain closest to the people and are best positioned to support community-based security initiatives, intelligence gathering and crime prevention.
Without financially and administratively independent local governments, he warned, the benefits of state policing could be significantly diminished.
Bamidele maintained that Nigeria's growing security challenges have made the case for state police increasingly compelling, but cautioned against rushing the process without establishing a solid institutional foundation.
He stressed that any new policing architecture must be supported by sustainable financing, robust legal frameworks, transparent oversight mechanisms and adequate checks against abuse of power.
The Senate Leader concluded that while the establishment of state police has become increasingly necessary in response to Nigeria's evolving security realities, its long-term success will depend on creating institutions that are adequately funded, professionally managed and accountable to the rule of law rather than political interests.
He expressed optimism that with the appropriate constitutional, legal and institutional reforms, state police could significantly enhance community security, improve intelligence gathering and complement the efforts of existing federal security agencies in addressing the country's complex security challenges.
