State Police: RULAAC Calls for Participatory, Inclusive, Transparent Debate

Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

As calls for the need of state policing surges and takes national discourse, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, says is success depends greatly on participation of all Nigerians, inclusivity and transparency as well as allowing a diversity of opinions for consensus building.
Debate on the call for state police is coming on the backdrop of the spike in the spate of kidnappings and banditry across the country, including the federal capital territory, and the inability of the police to contain the crisis.

Speaking on Thursday in Abuja during a stakeholder’s dialogue on ’insecurity and state police’ executive director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma said the issue of whether state police is the answer to tackling insecurity in Nigeria is a complex and controversial topic that requires answers on questions surrounding accountability and its other attendant risks.

He said while the bill has gone through second reading and has proceeded to the constitution review committee, many have continued to argue to whether it would improve the current state of security by allowing a quicker response to local security issues, or it would lead to the abuse of power, politicization and conflicts between federal and state authorities.

“At the root of the current debate has been certain spectacular developments in the trajectory of unabated insecurity in Nigeria and the inability of the police, as presently structured, to effectively tackle insecurity and guarantee public order and peace which are essential for development.
“While we argue that having state police could improve security in Nigeria, as it would allow for a quicker response to local security issues, others argue that it could lead to abuse of power, politicization of the police force, and possible conflicts between state and federal authorities.

“The civil society panel on police reform 2012, in its report warned that state police should only be established on a basis of strict adherence to the principles of operational autonomy, and be based on sound professional practice in appointment, operations and control” he said.

So far, insecurity has cost hundreds millions of lives and invaluable worth of property and has destroyed means of livelihoods.