The proposed State Police must be designed to protect ordinary Nigerians without regard to their wealth, political connections or social status, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Planning and Research, Nnadubem Moghalu, has said.
Moghalu, who is also Secretary of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, gave the warning on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2nd Annual Distinguished Parliamentary Lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps.
The lecture had the theme, “The Imperative for State Police: Securing Communities, Strengthening Federalism.”
According to Moghalu, the real test of State Police would be whether an ordinary Nigerian could get police protection without having to pay for it, know an influential person or attract national attention before help comes.
“The Nigerian who needs the police at three in the morning should be able to get help without influence, without payment demanded as the price of protection, and without first becoming a national news story,” he said.
He, however, warned that while decentralised policing could bring security closer to the people, it could also create room for political abuse if strong safeguards were not established.
Moghalu said governors could be tempted to use State Police against political opponents, while local majorities could also use police powers against minority groups.
He said the proposed reform must therefore clearly define the powers of those in charge and ensure that anyone who abuses such powers is held accountable.
“If these reforms merely federalise the status quo, distributing familiar failures across more institutions, they will have failed,” he said.
Moghalu disclosed that Edo, Rivers, Osun and Oyo states had approved the constitutional amendment required for the establishment of State Police, while 24 states are required to meet the constitutional threshold.
He also explained that the constitutional amendment and the National Policing Bill were separate but complementary processes, with the amendment providing the constitutional foundation and the bill setting out the operational framework.
Speaking on behalf of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akin Rotimi, urged journalists to assess legislation and public policies based on their provisions, principles and consequences rather than partisan considerations.
Abbas also stressed the importance of an independent press in a democracy, saying the House did not expect its Press Corps to become an “echo chamber for Parliament.”
He, however, urged journalists to ensure accuracy, fairness and proper context in their reporting of the National Assembly.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, represented by DCP Suleiman Gulma, expressed support for constitutional and legislative efforts aimed at strengthening law enforcement and community safety.
Disu said transparent and broad-based discussions were necessary as the country considers changes to its security architecture.
He said the Nigeria Police Force remained committed to reforms that would promote efficient, accountable and citizen-centred policing, stressing the importance of community engagement and decentralisation.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, represented by APC National Vice Chairman, North Central, Muazu Bawa Rijau, also backed State Police.
Bago said policing must be brought closer to the people, arguing that the rising level of insecurity required a security system capable of responding to the peculiar challenges of individual communities.
He said Niger State supported the establishment of State Police because insecurity did not discriminate based on political affiliation or social background.
Former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, represented by Pastor Edward Ogude, also supported the proposal.
Elumelu said State Police could strengthen community security and federalism if backed by effective safeguards.
He said federalism should maintain national unity while allowing federating units to respond to the realities of their people, calling for continuous dialogue, constitutional reflection and institutional reform.
Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Hon. Henry Nwawuba, said Nigeria was facing emerging security situations that required urgent attention.
He said Parliament had a responsibility to confront the challenges and was working to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
The Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, also called for the establishment of State Police, saying it could improve security, strengthen federalism and promote greater accountability at the local level.
Ike said a centrally controlled police system could leave communities waiting too long for effective intervention, while local police would be closer to residents and more familiar with the peculiar challenges of their communities.
She added that Nigeria’s diversity required policing strategies that reflected the realities of different parts of the country.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Comrade Gboyega Onadiran, said State Police had moved beyond a theoretical debate and had become a matter of daily concern for millions of Nigerians facing insecurity.
He said the issue had become more urgent as the 36 state Houses of Assembly consider the constitutional amendment required for the reform.
According to him, parliamentary journalists regularly witness lawmakers raise concerns over terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts and ungoverned spaces.
Onadiran said the Press Corps organised the lecture to promote informed public discussion and create an avenue for Parliament, security stakeholders and Nigerians to engage on the future of the country’s policing architecture.
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