Tunde Chris Odediran
The Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Kayode Egbetokun, reacted from his most selfish impulses in his recent statement that Nigeria was not “mature” enough for state police.
There has never been a time when Nigeria was ready for a decentralised law enforcement system than now.
To read the IGP quoted as saying “it is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria police force that Nigeria is yet to mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police,” is to understand how powerful men act in self-interest against the national interest.
The statement has sparked significant debate across the nation.
If Mr. Egbetokun’s quote was not a written statement at a public function, one would have said he goofed.
But it was a calculated attempt to ensure that the Nigerian Police remains the monopolistic, useless, tax-gulping and ineffectual federal institution that it has been for much of Nigeria’s existence.
Undoubtedly, there are challenges in establishing state police forces, but suggesting that Nigeria is not mature enough to manage security at the states – not even at the local government level – is not only erroneous but is also a false portrayal of what is possible and practicable in Nigeria.
The IGP fits quite well into the image of the incompetent police organisation under him that Nigerians have come to distrust.
It is a bloated, corrupt, inefficient, poorly-equipped and sterile law enforcement outfit whose best identity is the collection of bribes on the streets.
To be frank, the few elite officers surrounded by a galaxy of semi-literate rank and file is not what Nigeria needs. It is the reason Nigerians have been looking for alternatives to the NPF through regional security outfits like the Amotekun or even local vigilantes.
The country needs bold plans to restructure and modernise law enforcement and move away from an antiquated federal force that no longer serves the interest of the public, which is led by ignorant and insincere officers like Egbetokun.
The centralisation of law enforcement in a country of 200 million people and a vast territory is senseless. It hasn’t worked and it will never work – and it only takes common sense to see the obvious alternative.
The IGP’s pushback at the impending introduction of state police reeks of self-interest, self-service and narrow-mindedness, but it could also be out of ineptitude and lack of awareness.
The current centralised policing system in Nigeria has proven ineffective in addressing the country’s security challenges adequately.
The Nigerian Police is stretched too thin. It has poor response times, limited coverage, and an inability to effectively combat crime.
The country needs bold plans to restructure and modernise law enforcement and move away from an antiquated federal force that no longer serves the interest of the public, which is led by ignorant and insincere officers like Egbetokun
Its men are poor and haggard-looking. They lack equipment, training, motivation and are recruited from the pool of the national workforce that has a few choices.
Nigeria is a diverse country with various security challenges that differ from one region to another. What works in the north may not be suitable for the south and vice versa.
State police forces would be better equipped to address these localised challenges as they would have a better understanding of the terrain, culture, and dynamics of their respective states.
One of the primary benefits of state police forces is that they promote accountability.
Currently, the centralised nature of the NPF makes it challenging to hold officers accountable for their actions.
With state police forces, however, there would be greater accountability as officers would be more directly answerable to the state governments and local communities they serve.
Around the world, it is an accepted standard that community policing is more effective than any other approach, in that it builds a stronger relationship between the police and the communities it serves.
Instead of just responding to incidents and enforcing laws, community policing emphasises proactive problem-solving and collaboration between law enforcement and community members to identify and address the root causes of crime and disorder.
It appears community policing is a foreign concept to IGP Egbedokun. Or is he aware but is too protecting of his own position as the only sheriff in town?
The structure of the police system that he prefers is the one that sucks federal funds and delivers little result because part of the point made by the IGP was that state governments lacked the resources to maintain the type of policing that the nation required.
Instead of him accepting to break up the largely inefficient institution he runs, he wants to double down on nonsense, with more centralisation.
At the same event at which he dismissed Nigerians’ maturity to manage affairs at the local level, Egbetokun asked for even a larger NPF by advocating the merger of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to form a behemoth department within the Nigeria Police Force.
The Inspector-General is out of touch and it shows in the performance of his men.
He is not making sense and should not be part of the conversation about the dismantling of the current failed system he manages.
Nigerians want state police.
It doesn’t matter if they are wrong. It is a yearning under a democratic system and the demand of voters must be honoured.
They can’t have a public servant dictate to them.
Having gone through profound security challenges in recent years, Nigerians have tested alternatives and believe a state police system can lead to more effective crime detection and prevention.
The establishment of state police forces is also essential for promoting fiscal federalism in Nigeria.
Currently, the federal government has put on the exclusive list institutions that should be on the concurrent under the constitution.
By allowing states to establish their own police forces, Nigeria can move towards a more decentralised system of governance where states have greater control over their affairs.
One of the most significant drawbacks of the current centralised policing system is slow response times.
State police forces would be able to respond more quickly to emergencies as they would be more familiar with the local terrain and would not have to wait for orders from a central command in Abuja. Bureaucracy would be minimized.
Of course, it would be reckless not to be concerned about the likelihood that state governments can abuse power in a system where they have their own police forces.
For all practical purposes, Nigerian state governments are notorious for corruption, over-reaching and politicization of state civil apparatus.
But so is the Federal Government!
Appropriate checks and balances can be put in place to prevent abuse.
Numerous countries around the world have successfully implemented state or provincial police forces with great success
Additionally, state police forces can be structured in a way that ensures they are representative of the diversity of their states and subject to the oversight of a neutral federal institution, such as with the state court systems.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) was recently able to nip in the bud an attempt by the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to remove the state chief justice, Justice Adepele Ojo.
Such a system can be fashioned to protect the independence of the state police.
It will not be like a stroll in the park to break up the national police as we have it, but with courage and determination to make it work, it is possible.
It is not a question of maturity, but willingness.
Numerous countries around the world have successfully implemented state or provincial police forces with great success.
In the United States, where Nigeria copied its federal system from, regular policing is even far removed from the federal level, as each local government or township owns and manages its police department.
In addition, there is the state police, which works in conjunction with federal law enforcement agencies.
America has no federal police force as such, instead relying on federal law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Department of Homeland Security; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); U.S. Secret Service; and the U.S. Marshall Service.
The dislike for federal policing in America arises from the founders’ thinking that to maintain a truly democratic government, it was better to decentralise law enforcement.
Similarly, other nations with federating states like India and Brazil have decentralised policing systems that have proven effective in addressing local security challenges.
State police is needed in Nigeria and is possible.
But it will not happen with the likes of IGP Egbetokun involved.
This Inspector-General has indicated he will work against any plans to decentralise the police or make law enforcement structured in line with our federal system.
Egbetokun can scuttle any attempt to reduce his territory and sphere of influence.
That is why the NPF must be completely siloed from any plan to establish state police.
