By Seyi Odewale
A legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Liborous Oshoma, has backed the National Assembly’s ongoing efforts to establish state police, saying the initiative could significantly improve security across Nigeria if accompanied by strong constitutional safeguards to prevent political abuse.
Oshoma said decentralising policing would strengthen intelligence gathering, improve response times to security threats and complement the operations of the Nigeria Police Force, particularly in rural communities often neglected by federal security agencies.
His intervention comes as the National Assembly advances constitutional amendment proposals aimed at creating state police as part of broader efforts to tackle rising insecurity, including banditry, kidnapping and communal violence across the country.
According to him, officers recruited from their local communities are better positioned to understand the terrain, culture and language of residents, making it easier to gather intelligence and detect security threats before they escalate.
“State policing can be a highly effective way of improving local intelligence gathering and community response times, provided that strong constitutional and institutional safeguards are put in place to prevent political abuse,” Oshoma said.
He argued that decentralised policing would eliminate delays associated with seeking approvals from police authorities in Abuja before responding to local emergencies.
“By eliminating the bureaucratic lethargy of waiting for approval from the Inspector-General of Police in Abuja, state-level commands can react swiftly to immediate local threats,” he stated.
The lawyer noted that state police would not replace the federal police but would instead serve as a complementary force, expanding security coverage and increasing law enforcement presence in underserved areas.
However, Oshoma warned that the proposal carries significant risks if not carefully structured.
“The greatest concern is that state governors might weaponise their police forces to suppress political opponents, harass dissenting voices or influence elections,” he cautioned.
He also raised concerns over funding disparities among states, warning that wealthier states could build well-equipped police formations while poorer states struggle to pay salaries and maintain operations.
According to him, such inequalities could create uneven security capacity across the federation.
Another challenge, he said, is the potential for jurisdictional conflicts between federal and state police authorities, particularly in handling complex criminal investigations and interstate crimes.
To address these concerns, Oshoma called for clear legal frameworks that define operational boundaries and responsibilities between the two policing structures.
“There must be clear legal and operational guidelines to prevent chaos and command conflicts between federal and state police authorities,” he said.
He further advocated an independent oversight mechanism to insulate state police from political interference and ensure professionalism.
“For state policing to succeed, there must be strict and independent oversight, as well as a collaborative partnership with the federal police rather than absolute control by state governors,” Oshoma added.
He maintained that if properly implemented, state police could become a major tool in addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges while strengthening community-based law enforcement across the country.
