creation of state police in nigeria: another view

   CREATION OF STATE POLICE IN NIGERIA:  ANOTHER VIEW

 The clamour and dis-clamour for the creation of State Police in Nigeria has been a burning issue that has raged across the nation for some time now. While some agree that it’s a welcome idea, and that the country is long over- due for it in the wake of recent security challenges, others see it as another way of creating anarchy in the states.

However, what is obvious is that the issue has become a major topic of discussion at every event and meeting across the nation with different views and solutions being proffered even among the Governors. Therefore, far reaching decisions must be made in order to create a new direction in the security sector of the country.

                Imoke’s view  

During the recent Media Parley in Calabar, the Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel  Imoke stressed that the creation of State Police wouldn’t have been a subject of discussion if the present Police and security structures had not been found inefficient and deficient in tackling the security situation in the country

Senator Liyel Imoke who also doubled as the Chairman of the South-South Governors Forum emphasized that ‘’since government is created to guarantee the security and welfare of its citizenry, isn’t it necessary for the government at all levels (Federal, State, and Local) to have its own machineries needed to perform these duties’’?. Therefore there is need for the decentralization of the Police Force in Nigeria for optimal productivity and security in the states, he asserted.

Furthermore, the Governor reiterated that the creation of state police could also tackle the problem of un-employment in the country as youths will be trained and engaged as security operatives to tackle the insecurity as now in the society.

                Police autonomy in the world

Looking generally at the issue of state police across the world especially in the United States, where Nigeria copied its Presidential system of government from, one could be of the opinion that Nigeria has not really been a good ‘copy-cat’., and that there is no tangible security without community or state police as practiced in the United States of America.

In India, United States, Australia, South Africa etc., there does not exist one centralized police force as in Nigeria. Even in Britain, Nigeria’s erstwhile colonial master, does not operate a centralised police structure.

India, for example with the same features as Nigeria in terms of population and ethnicity has the central police known as the India Police Service but essential policing is done by the state police officers in the state with complete and separate commands as in states like Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nahu etc…

The foregoing explains why even a unitary government like Britain still has several local and regional police forces under separate and independent Chief Constables such as the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester Police, Thames Valley Police, and Northumbria Police.

In USA, the arrangement is even more diffused and decentralized going into the community and city police to the county, states, and the FBI. In fact, the government axis has their own police force known as the Capitol Police all of which are independent from each other.

The secret of multi-force policing in any country is just the jurisdiction and once each service jurisdiction is well defined, a well community police could function without any conflict.

States with resources may however give its police force the kind of training and facilities it can afford, necessary for securing the states against internal aggression and criminal elements. The Tamil Nahu and the Maharashtra state police services in India for example, train their officers at the Atlanta City Police Academy in the USA, while the Tamil Nahu state police academy is even pursuing a degree awarding university status in the states.

The above arrangements have nothing to do with the Indian Central Police Services. Even one or two states can even pool resources together to establish a joint police academy to train its local police officers for effective policing in such states. Nothing therefore stops Akwa Ibom, Abia and Cross River States from collaborating and establishing a joint Police Academy.

                Check and balances

Finally, it must be stated that mindful of the abuses which some state authorities could deploy state police officers to, several control mechanisms need to be put in place. The federal police must exist across the country to check all abuses and violations of rights of citizens. So, any Governor who employs the state police to molest, intimidate or harass citizens or political opponents should be checked. The creation of State Police should therefore been seen as a necessary tools to curtailing the activities of criminal elements in the society and not for political purposes intimidating perceived opponents. Once the structure and control mechanism are rightly put in place, the system would be of great benefit to the society.