By Jimitota Onoyume & Akaninyene Ezekiel

In the recent arguments among Nigerians about the creation of State Police while some applaud the initiative, many more feel the time is not yet right for the country to have a State Police.

Even the Governors’ Forum, an umbrella body for the governors of the 36 States irrespective of their political parties who initially supported the idea saw many members especially from the Northern

States backing out of the initial agreement except for few governors especially Jonah Jang of Plateau State persistently clamouring for the State Police as according to him, it will enable State governors who are the Chief Security Officers of their respective States to tackle insecurity before it goes out of hand.

GOVERNOR Chibuike Amaechi has never hidden his desire for state police. Even when nineteen governors of the northern states kicked against it after all the governors had collectively endorsed it under the aegis of Governors Forum which Governor Amaechi heads, the latter still maintained his stance on it.

In an interview with the Saturday Vanguard in Port Harcourt recently, the governor dismissed fears being expressed against state police in several quarters as not strong enough to stop push the concept aside.

According to him, state police was not all about governors or the political class but about security of lives and properties. “At the end of the day the governor will leave office, will he leave with the state police? So if he fought people with it, the next man will fight him with it. I don’t think that is the problem,” he argued in that interview.

An eminent professor of Political science, Prof Kimse Okoko who also spoke in favour of establishment of state police said it would guarantee the nation better security.

He also said state police should not be treated in isolation from the agitation of true federalism. “My position is clear, restructuring the country along the lines of true federalism with state police part of it. Every state must have a state police but this should not be singled out of the call for true federalism, it should be part of the total restructuring.

He said there was urgent need to restrict the functions of the federal government to matters of foreign affairs, Customs etc.  While things like state Police should be devolved to the federating units.

Prof Okoko said areas opposed to formation of state police  could be  taken care of  by the federal police while states that want state police  should go ahead to set up theirs. “If there are parts that don’t want state police it should not stop others from having theirs”, he said.

Gov Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State

A frontline activist and National Coordinator, Ogoni Solidarity forum, Comrade Celestine Akpobari said the country was not ripe enough for state police. He feared that it could be abused by state governors.  According to him, with state police, governors would deal with opposition without any limitation. “It is because they don’t have direct control of the police that is why we still hear some degree of opposition in the states.

Executive Chairman, Institute of Human rights and Humanitarian law, Anyakwe Nsirimovu said the fears against state police were far less than the benefit. He argued that a state Police would bring security closer to the people and create better funding for the police.

He said state police would enhance intelligence gathering since they would be people familiar with the neighbourhood and the culture of the area, adding also that state police would bring into reality the much talked about community policing.

For Nsirimovu it is not true that the federal police were not being controlled by the governors. According to him, some of the Police Commissioners get contracts from the governors and for this reason they do anything to please the governors. “The federal police system is still being abused by the governors. They control the Commissioners with contracts. I think for purpose of accountability, we should have state police”. He said those charged with policing their states would want to be accountable to the people.

“Understanding an environment also help to achieve effective policing. A rivarine man can do better in his areas than an upland police man who is not familiar with the water ways and the creeks”, he said. He also said a state police would be better funded

Leader Niger Delta Activists forum, Mr Success Jack also said the country was not mature enough for state Police. According to him, our institutions were still weak so they could be manipulated heavily by the highest bidder.  He said state police no doubt is a good idea but the country should strengthen its democratic institutions first before opting for it.

Let’s do our homework first—Lar

Governor Jonah Jang who has taken every opportunity to explain that functional State Police would help in addressing the security situation in Plateau State once said at a gathering in Government

House in Jos said, he is a Chief Security Officers who could not command a fly because security apparatuses in the State always await order from Abuja before any security breach is tackled.

Besides the governor, the Chairman of Plateau Joint Traditional Council and the Gbong Gwom, Jos, Da Jacob Buba also said at the funeral of the late Senator Gyang Dantong and at other stakeholders’ fora that governors are not capable of effectively tackling security challenges in the State because of their inability to give order to security personnel to promptly act on security situation.

However, on whether it is right or wrong for States to establish their Police, other Plateau residents react.

According to Ayuba Pam, the Special Adviser to the Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang, “Governor Jang is an apostle of State Police and the entire State is in support of it. State Police can address issues of security in States though some governors in the northern State backed out of the idea.

“Nigeria is over 50years old and there is technology everywhere, those saying the nation is not yet ripe for State Police are trying to hide from their shadows because it means the nation is not yet ripe for the practice of true federalism”.

Contrary to this opinion, the first civilian governor of the State, Chief Solomon Lar called for caution saying similar idea was implemented in the 1950s to late 1970s and the term “Yan Doka” was used for the State Police but politicians of those times exploited the policy using it to intimidate, harass and oppress perceived enemies until the creation of the Nigeria Police in 1979.

Lar said there should be thorough homework done so that such idea would not be detrimental to the development of the nation.

Reacting further, the SA to Jang said there is nothing to fear about the State Police because the law is to protect lives and property of citizens.

Pam reiterated that oppressive tendencies and violence are found even in the federal Police adding that the gains of State Police far outweigh the losses.

Another resident, Gad Shamaki who is a human right activist said “I am in full of State Police. The State governor has been supporting the idea and many State governors under some guise have been supporting the activities of State Police over the years in their various States. “Since the inception of Sharia law in some States in the northern Nigeria, these governors have their police known as the Hisba. The idea of State Police is a welcome development because besides
addressing immediate security challenges, there will be creation of more jobs for the youths”.

Yet another respondent, Mrs. Tongnaan Bawa said she could not comment because she was not sure of the principles guiding the State Police.

However, Mr. Alatishe Sunday stated that State Police is to be encouraged since Nigeria is a federation; every unit ought to have its independent in line with the constitution adding that several outfits exist in several States with the aim of fighting crime just that the nomenclature ‘State Police’ is not attached to it.

Most respondents in the State spoken to unanimously agree the idea of State Police would be a good one for the State for the timely intervention before disagreements escalate to crisis.
Few others like Isa Mohammed, Chijioke Uzor and Hajia Zainab Zakari said State Police may eventually become agents of oppression hence, the nation should not dabble into it.