A Research Professor at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Professor Olufemi Otubanjo, has described the proposed creation of state police as a long-overdue reform that could strengthen security management and deepen Nigeria’s federal structure.
According to the professor, “state police is something that was long overdue. Long overdue because of the fact that it is a natural part of federalism to have state police and to have state control of the judiciary, and so on.”
Recall that the Senate had on Wednesday passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking the establishment of state police services across Nigeria, a move that would also empower state governors to appoint Commissioners of Police for their respective states, subject to confirmation by the State Houses of Assembly.
Speaking on Thursday during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Otubanjo argued that the establishment of state police is consistent with the principles of federalism, noting that responsibilities such as policing, judicial administration and correctional services are traditionally shared among different levels of government in federal systems.
“It’s high time Nigeria had state police, because it is part of federalism. We are a federal system. Every federal system has division of labour. Just as we have the high court system at the state level, we have police at the state level. These are all state functions. he said.
The professor further lamented what he described as the excessive concentration of powers at the centre, arguing that successive administrations have weakened the federal character of the Nigerian system by retaining control over functions that should ordinarily be shared with the states: According to him “We have abused federalism in Nigeria for so long. So, state police is a natural, a natural offshoot of federalism, if you have a federal system,” he emphasized.
Using the recent kidnapping incident in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to illustrate his point, Otubanjo maintained that Nigeria’s prolonged concentration of powers at the centre has undermined the country’s federal structure and limited the autonomy of state governments in managing security and governance matters: “We have had this over-centralization of the police to the point that a governor clearly does not have control of the commissioner under him. Now, there’s a problem in Oyo state, in Oriire local government. The governor does not control the security situation, he does not. But the governor cannot tell the police to go there, not to talk of the military,” he said.
Otubanjo further argued that the creation of state police would provide state governments and regional security outfits with greater operational flexibility in combating crime and insecurity.
He said: “Federal police has been known to stop other paramilitary organizations saying that they don’t have power to do what they are doing. The state police grants that power. The state police system grants that opportunity for flexible operations,”
While expressing strong support for the proposed state police structure, Otubanjo acknowledged that its implementation may not be without challenges.
He noted that conflicts over jurisdiction, operational boundaries and the potential misuse of security agencies by political actors could arise during the early stages of implementation but maintained that such concerns should not discourage the country from embracing a reform he described as crucial to strengthening federalism and improving security administration.
“There will be rough edges at the beginning. There will be jurisdictional conflicts. There will be over zealousness on the part of governors to use the police against their opponents,” he said.
Otubanjo, however, expressed confidence that these challenges could be addressed through appropriate legal safeguards, constitutional provisions and institutional reforms as the system evolves.
“So all those things will be captured gradually in legal restrictions and constitutional provisions, and gradually we will get used to it. We have to start. We have to start it,” he added.
Despite acknowledging concerns that governors could abuse state police for political purposes, the professor insisted that such fears should not prevent the country from implementing a reform that has become necessary: “So the state police is an idea whose time has long been overdue. It has come. And I think that gradually we will work out all the rough edges,” he reiterated.
Otubanjo further explained that under a state police system, crimes committed within a state would primarily be handled by state security agencies answerable to the governor, while federal police would concentrate on interstate and national security matters.
“So, the state police creates a situation in which there is a division of labor, in which the state police is responsible for crimes committed within a state jurisdiction, in which the head of the police is responsible to the governor. So when the governor is the chief security officer of the state, he is the chief security both in name and in deed.,” he stated.
Drawing comparisons with other countries, Otubanjo noted that federal systems across the world operate decentralised policing structures successfully.
He cited the United States as one of the most prominent examples, explaining that police powers are distributed across different levels of government, including states, cities and even universities.
According to him, “Other countries are doing it, and they are succeeding with it. India, Germany…. Google any federal system. You have your police, you have your judiciary, and so on. But the most famous example is the U.S. The U.S. has police, even for university. And they operate within the university, and if they cannot handle an issue, they will go to the metropolitan, to the city police”
The research professor further went on to explain the role of foreign policy in national development, stating that diplomacy extends beyond managing relations with other countries and should serve as a tool for addressing domestic challenges.
He said: “Our foreign policy is supposed to use resources outside to help us to achieve objectives that are domestic. A great deal of the problems that face a country are to be solved internally. President Tinubu has gone to so many countries, to Qatar, to Turkey, and to offer opportunities in Nigeria, in our mining, in our oil sector, in our agriculture, and so on. That is what you use foreign policy to push”
He noted that strategic partnerships, bilateral agreements and international cooperation can help countries attract investment, strengthen security and create opportunities that support economic growth and national development.
CALLERS’ PERSPECTION
Responding to concerns raised by callers during the programme that insecurity had worsened under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Otubanjo cautioned against drawing conclusions without verifiable data.
He argued that public perceptions of insecurity are often shaped by media reports of high-profile incidents rather than comprehensive evidence, stressing that assessments of security trends should be based on empirical research and official statistics.
“How do you know that insecurity is increasing? People in Nigeria talk. Have you done any research? Do you know the level before and the level now? You don’t know. So let’s all be careful not to make assumptions and be sentimental. I’m a professor of political science with special interest in strategy, so I don’t know the level of insecurity in Nigeria. All I know is that we have insecurity that should be dealt with. Whether it has increased or decreased is a different problem,” he stated.
On the possible politicisation of state police, Otubanjo agreed that sincerity and professionalism would be critical to the success of the initiative.
He stressed that appointments and operational decisions should be guided by competence and the ethics of policing rather than political affiliations.
He, however, expressed confidence that increased public scrutiny, social media visibility and democratic accountability would help curb potential abuses and ensure that the system evolves in the right direction.
“There’s no doubt that sincerity and politics can undermine any project. So, we’re hoping that there will be sincerity, that there will be a commitment to the ethos of policing, and that there will be no politics. That the President will not appoint a brother-in-law, just because the brother-in-law is the commandant.That DPOs will not be determined by political party affiliation. So, gentlemen, sincerity and politics, politics must not be allowed to get into the system. Sincerity must be the essence of the system,” he said.
Otubanjo further maintained that the reform has become necessary to address the limitations of Nigeria’s highly centralised policing system.
