The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma, has reiterated his opposition to the creation of state police, arguing that Nigeria would benefit more from decentralising authority within the existing Nigeria Police Force.
Nwanguma said his preferred model of police reform is the devolution of operational authority, decision-making powers and resources from the Force Headquarters to lower formations, including Zonal, State, Area and Divisional Commands.
According to him, such an arrangement would enable police commanders at every level to respond more quickly and effectively to local security challenges without having to obtain approval from the Force Headquarters in Abuja for routine operational decisions.
He stressed that decentralisation should be supported by strong oversight and accountability mechanisms, as well as legal and institutional safeguards to prevent political interference in policing.
The RULAAC executive director also called for adequate and predictable funding of the police, improved training, enhanced welfare for officers, and increased recruitment to strengthen the force.
Nwanguma further advocated a recruitment policy that would ensure a significant number of officers are deployed to serve in their states of origin or residence where appropriate, while maintaining national standards, merit, inclusiveness and non-discrimination in recruitment and deployment.
He argued that decentralising powers within the existing police structure would deliver many of the operational advantages associated with state policing without creating separate state-controlled police forces.
According to him, the model would preserve national cohesion and uniform professional standards while reducing the risk of political abuse by state governments.
He added that the proposed reforms would ultimately produce a police service that is more responsive, accountable and effective in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
