State Police: Stakeholders call for strong constitutional, institutional safeguards to avoid abuse

The Nigerian Senate on June 24, 2026, passed the constitutional amendment bill to establish state police in the country.

The passage came almost two weeks after the House of Representatives passed the same bill.

The law will replace the current Nigeria Police structure with Federal and State Police services.

One key provision of the bill is that it gave state governors power to appoint commissioners of Police for their states, after passing through the state Houses of Assembly.

However, some stakeholders are of the opinion that State Governors will use the police commissioners appointed by them, to intimidate political opponents and suggested strong constitutional and institutional safeguards.

Obinna Nwagbara, executive director, Youth and Students Advocates for Development (YSAD), in an interview with BusinessDay in Aba, observed that Nigeria Police is already plagued by gross human rights violations and inefficiencies, due to inadequate federal funding.

He stressed that introduction of state police, would amount to the duplication of the failures in the police across the 36 states of the country.

He noted that until the federal government fulfills its primary duty of adequately funding, equipping, and holding the Nigeria police force accountable, establishing state would spread the current dysfunction rather than solve it.

Read also: Houses of Assembly to begin consideration of state police bill this week

He said that state police should only be considered after the federal government has demonstrably met the operational and welfare needs of the force, as demanded by the #ENDSARS protesters; otherwise, it would be putting the cart before the horse.

In his words, “If state governments lack the financial capacity to properly fund their own police forces, they would replicate the same inadequacies and abuse seen at the federal level, potentially worsening human rights violations.

“Second, there is a serious threat of political interference; state governors would misuse state police to intimidate political opponents, suppress dissent, or protect local interests, turning the police into a tool for regional strongmen.”

He said that the absence of a strong, well-funded, and accountable federal police force, as a backup means there is no reliable national standard or oversight mechanism, leaving citizens vulnerable to uneven and partisan law enforcement across the federation.

“State governments have usurped the powers of local governments, state houses of Assembly and other state institutions. They will do the same to the police”, Nwagbara stated.

Okoye Chuka Peter, executive director, Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS), said that he supports the establishment of state police, as part of Nigeria’s journey towards true federalism.

He said that a decentralised policing system can improve intelligence gathering, enhance community policing, and ensure quicker responses to local security challenges, such as kidnapping, banditry, cultism, and communal conflicts.

He however, stated that his support for the establishment of State Police is conditional, given Nigeria’s current political climate, where allegations of executive interference, corruption, political intimidation, and suppression of dissent are prevalent.

He warned that State Police must not become another tool for political persecution, but should be backed by strong constitutional and institutional safeguards.

On perceived threats to state policing, Okoye, observed that the greatest threat is political abuse, noting that without adequate safeguards, that some state governments could use it to harass political opponents, intimidate critics, suppress peaceful protests, and undermine democratic freedoms.

Other concerns Okoye noted include political interference in recruitment and operations, inadequate funding in some states, and the risk of ethnic or partisan bias.

These challenges, according to him are not reasons to reject state police, rather, they highlight the need for independent oversight, transparent recruitment, judicial accountability, legislative checks, and strict adherence to the Constitution and human rights standards.

He said that State Police can significantly improve security in Nigeria, if professionalism, accountability, and the rule of law take precedence over political interests.