The face of justice is always the Police. A Police that is embrace by all is the desire of every Nigerian irrespective of tribe. People need to own their infrastructures and environment. People need to know that ‘vested interest’ do not hijack justice and that crimes and criminality are properly investigated before being taken to court. A Police they can call their own and a Police that is assessable by all. There’s a symbiotic relationship between security and prosperity, the general welfare of people is guarantee where there is peace and progress.

State Police is the way to go on the lingering security issues bedeviling the country. The arguments has always been that the state governors would misuse the State Police instruments as an appendage of their fiefdoms. Possibly I’d say yes but looking beyond the tenure of the governors, it’s the same state that can and will prosecute the same governor when the time is right. It could take decades but justice would catch up with them some day.
Only the law can establish a well-managed and equipped Police establishment. It will take the combination of the executive, legislators, the judiciary and others that draft the law to allow only one arm of government to dictate the direction of the collective.
There’s always a simultaneous relationship between security and prosperity. This is a major issue stagnating the various state in Nigeria and entrenching poverty. There’s no state in Nigeria that is not viable! We are so blessed that we have not scratched the surface of our potentials.
Studies conducted way back 1999 shows that Yobe State alone can feed the entire West Africa with beans. That’s food crop but has potentials on several cash crops. That’s only in Agriculture. Viable sectors exist in tourism, which would make even Dubai in UAE to be envious. Mining is a sector not explore by the government but by illegal miners, fueling insurgencies in the state. Sports and Digital economy can boost the IGR of Yobe by 40% if it taps into its natural given wealth. An Ecosystem of all these will make a state like Yobe a self-sustaining economy.
What are the challenges obstructing these wealth to the state you will ask? Just the Political WILL Power. Investors’ only needs guarantees to kick start its economy whose catalyst of sustenance is a robust security network.

BENEFITS OF STATE POLICE:

The advantages of having a State Police far outweighs the disadvantages.
A robust State Police structure would enable proper institutions within the states to function properly and ensure the state is prosperous.
State Police, depending on the structure and enabling acts, can tame corruption, recreate value systems that once was and almost eroded.
The bearer of the State Police instruments (the Policemen and women) would be residents of the states with proven integrity.
Policing will be effective if domicile within. Intelligence gathering will be effective and efficient with locals who understands the language, culture and tradition of the people.
0wnership of policing will be embraced by all in the communities with adequate representation by the locals not from people who neither understand the people. They would give their best to protect the land and its wealth once they understand their purpose.
Community Policing will be effective if justice is seen or observed to be served. We have witnessed several cases of crimes and criminalities being covered up due to vested interests from quarters not resident at the scenes of crime but for political expediency.
State police can uplift our electioneering process which ultimately affects the dynamics of governance.
State police will deepened our democratic structures better than what we witness currently if properly structured.
The natural assumptions that the state governors will misuse their powers is stem from the prolonged history of military rule that creates a constitution that is lopsided and allows sudo military apparatus of oppressive tendencies being taken advantage of by the governors.
The inclusion use of ADCs and security votes are the creation of military rules which the constitution needs to abolish. Nigeria had regional Police in the past until 1966 and very few cases of armed struggle with state actors as witnessed in today’s Nigeria.

Operational workability. Framework. Funding.
Nigeria is bedeviled by series of insecurities ranging from petty crimes, theft, smuggling, kidnapping, banditry and terrorism. To combat this menace, the idea of State Police or Regional Police will be an alternative solution to this problems.
However a well- planned State Police will ensure better security for all Nigerians and would ensure that our democratic dividends are enjoyed. For us to have a State Police, current security agencies in the country will have to be reorganize to effectively enjoy the benefit of the new State Police. The current federal structure of the Nigerian Police Force will have to give way. Some of its current personnel will form the fulcrum of the new State Police. The current Police commands headquarter will be the headquarters of the new State Police. All known security outfits will have to give way for it to work effectively without replicating duties of same.
Some members of the current Nigerian police Force will form the fulcrum of the State Police as desired by each state. Those not required will form part of the New DSS and the Border Marshal. The NSCDC will also merge with the State Police in their various state command structures and personnel, and equally are the VIO. They will all form the fulcrum of the State Police functions as Spy Police (special guards and public infrastructures protections) and Traffic Police using state of the art equipment to monitor and manage traffic, transportation management, and accidents related issues. This unit will manage the data information across security channels and its data will be backed up by the National Identity Management Commission NIMC. The personals will be trained on safety and emergency drills.
This will increase the police workforce and with requisite training would enhance policing within the state. Training and retraining of its personnel will be monitored by the PSC to earn badges for promotion and benefits.
The various vigilante corps in various nomenclatures can be fussed with the State Police structures in the various local government areas.
No Policeman or Policewoman will serve as aide, bodyguard or security to any Nigerian or foreigner. No Police man or woman would henceforth perform the duties of security guards to any individual, groups or organization. The police will be left to be a professional agency with the sole responsibility to Police the States and Federal Capital Territory and its citizens, by preventing crimes, detecting crimes, investigating crimes and for other civil interventions. The State Police can create various policing units or department for its operational capabilities as it deems and can fund its operations as required by the state. (Anti- kidnapping, bomb squad, anti-terrorist, financial crime units).
Every policeman must be insured by the State Police in which he serves.
Every assets (excluding fire arms) of the Police must be insured.
Each state fire arms will be procured in conjunction with the office of the National security adviser, the DSS and the PSC.

PROSECUTION:

The police will be for everyone and not for any vested interest. No policeman will prosecute crime if he is not a lawyer. It is mandatory that every police formation in the country will have lawyers to prosecute cases whose conduct will be monitored by the state NBA, recognized civil society groups, PSC, NJC and the ministry of Justice.
The various States Department Public Prosecution (DPP) will be attached to all the States Police to ensure that only investigated cases are prosecuted. Prosecution will be by the Department of Public Prosecution directly supervised by the office of the States Attorney Generals and the legal department of the states PSC office. Every State Police division will have the DPP and the Department of Public Defender to ensure that no citizen is unjustly detained. Oversight can be conducted by the Min of Justice, NJC, PSC, legislative arm and the police legal department.
The viral case of Lukman Adeyemi who was sentenced to death for murder than he knew nothing about. He spent 24 years in jail, 15 of which were in solitary conferment as he await execution. Fortunately for him, his innocence was established by a Philanthropic advocacy group and was released on July 14, 2024 since 2000. He was released without compensation nor apologies.
Can this type of justice build a peaceful and prosperous nation?
Speaking to the press after successfully releasing Mr. Adeyemi, CJMR (the philanthropic advocacy group) has this to say about our Police and justice system “poor lawyering, misleading police information and relentless prosecution are some of the key factors responsible for wrongful convictions in Nigeria”.
He emphasized that “while police evidence is typically held in high regard, not all evidence are accurate and reliable”.

THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE

The commissioner of Police in each state will be tenured. A four year term which can be renewed. Nomination or advertisement will be from the Police Service Commission (PSC). The candidates could be from the establishment, military or civilian whose integrity is proven to lead a corrupt free society. The commissioner once elected or selected can’t hire nor fire his subordinates but can recommend the dismissal of any erring personnel to the PSC. The commissioner would be assisted by carrier Deputy Commissioners of Police in Operations, Administration, Trainings, Finance, and Legal duties.
Each state will have its own Police Service Commission (PSC) arm whose responsibilities will be limited to recruitment, training, disciplinary and administration. The PSC board will be constituted as; Membership from House of Representative/House of Assembly, a Judiciary member (NJC), Justice Ministry, the Police Secretary, Civil Society, and a member from the State House.
The Selection of a Police Commissioner will be done by screening from the Organized Civil Society, State Chief Judge, the State Assembly and the Governor of the state. The governor has two votes, to remove ties during the selection process.

FUNDING:

Funding of the police will be at source, managed by the PSC and the Police Management team. It will be monitored by the representative of the three arms of government and the civil society. The erstwhile security votes of governors are funds that can be channeled to fund the various States Police.
Currently the Nigerian police is funded by the FG which is always in -adequate to cater for manpower and equipment. This funding will continue through the various state governments and managed by the PSC. An additional funding by the various states resident private and public institutions as donors that requires the state to prosper (Funding is not restricted to Monetary disbursements only but through goodwill) Funding can also be sourced from 5% of Insurance profits of the various states.

THE MERGER:

The current constituted Nigerian Police force will be merge with the Department of State Security (DSS) to strengthened and boost its operational capabilities. Their role would be covert. The new DSS will be headed by the current IG of Police whose functions will be broader than before, as it will take over the responsibility of ensuring national security across the federation with its powers spelt out alongside the various security agencies. They will be responsible for the Protection security of the various arms of government officials (President, Vice President, governors and deputies, members of National Assemblies, chief justice and judges of the federations, speakers and deputies of states assemblies, state chief judges and ministers of the federation, chairman of INEC, CBN governor and their Deputies, Wives of Governors and their deputies, wives of President, Vice President, Senate president and deputy, speaker and deputies speaker of House of reps ) and not the state police. The spy police will be available for government official’s protection (Commissioners, State assembly members, judges of the states, chairmen of local government)
The New DSS role will be for intelligence gatherings, national security, and investigations (specific). They will have presence in all local government in Nigeria whose function will not interfere with the State police except for a crime beyond the State Police jurisdiction. Such crimes as terrorism, Money laundering, military crimes, smuggling kidnapping, murder, assassination etc.
The New DSS will take over the running of the Forensic Laboratories across the country, the current Investigation Bureaus across Nigeria (FCIB and SCIBs) and the several Police academy and training institutions across Nigeria, special operational units such as (anti-terrorist, kidnapping, bomb squads) etc. The current personnel can be fused with State Police formations in the various states where applicable. The new DSS are not uniform bearing except during major operations (will not be seen wearing uniforms) not a daily routine affairs. Every policeman in Nigeria should have a license/Certificate for practice and promotions (A badge of Honor/ a crest) from the Police Academy. All States Police PSC will have access to these facilities for a fee. The New DSS will run various programs of trainings for all cadres of personnel’s in the formation to ensure professionalism across the security channels.
Optional:
The Border Marshal will emerge from the current Nigeria Police force and be responsible for the check of banned items in conjunction with the Nigerian Customs at the boarders.
Optional:
The role of the FRSC will now be strictly road Marshall on the federal Highways. They can bear arms to deter robber, kidnappers and cross border bandits to inflict minimal injury on their personnel.
The presence of Border Marshalls, enhanced DSS, active State Police and its Spy Police counterparts across the nation will stern the rising tide of insecurities that has bedeviled our country. All States shall have at least two control rooms and one emergency three-digit toll-free lone that receive, process, analyze, redirect, and disseminate (actionable) intelligence and calls from citizens and residents of the state.

LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES

Essentially, there shall be an amendment of the Nigerian Constitution to expunge and move Nigerian police, arms, ammunition from the exclusive list to the concurrent list, to be able to confer the powers on the States’ Assemblies to legislate on and enact State police laws. This would also empower state policemen in the employ of the State police to bear arms and ammunition, in accordance to the guidelines, framework and conditions set by the National Security Advisers office and the DSS. Currently, all Security and intelligence gathering outfits established (by laws) in the respective regions cum states cannot bear arms, and this is what differentiates the police from the rest of them.
Secondly, each state shall be required to enact their respective State’s Police Service Law, in-line with the aforementioned recommendations. I am open to making a presentation to both the State Police Review Committee and legislative drafting Committee, to share details of provisions that should not be missing in the State Police Service draft bills and future laws, their structure, the security organogram of the state, and operational flowchart and framework. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) shall also have its own State Police Service (and PSC), which shall be similar to the other States, which shall be enacted by the National Assembly, enacted from the repealed Nigerian Police Force Act, 2020; but shan’t have jurisdiction on issues bothering on federal crime, which are to be in the purview of the DSS.
States and the FCT via their legislative arms (House of Representatives alone shall have the responsibility to enact for FCT, triable in FCT High Court) shall also be required to enact their respective State’s Criminal Code Law, Administration of Criminal Justice Law, Administration of Jury Trials Criminal Justice Law (to incorporate citizens into the process of criminal adjudication for popular participation, transparency & accountability) amongst other laws that specify and stipulate acts and offences that the respective States consider to be criminal, but without religious or tribal values, as these would be make such laws ultra-vires to the Nigerian Constitution, as the constitution always takes precedent above other Acts and Laws that draw powers from it.
The National Assembly shall repeal the Nigerian Police Force Act (2020) to enact the FCT Police Service Act, then amend the National Security Agencies Act to identify the (Department of) State Security Services (SSS) as the agency responsible for internal security in Nigeria, investigation and prosecution of all federal crimes, in such a way as not to duplicate the responsibilities and Functions of the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Crimes Commission (ICPC); which we recommend that both anti-corruption agencies be merged.

Gbenga Fakoya
A Certified Auctioneer, Marketing Communications Practitioner and Transformational Management Consultant writes from Abuja.
gbengfak@yahoo.co.uk 08033040091