As debate intensifies over the proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria, Chairman of the Nigeria Police Committee on the Establishment of State Police, Professor Olu Ogunsakin, has clarified that there is no conflict between the constitutional amendment process being driven by the National Assembly and the work of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP)-constituted committee. Ogunsakin said both efforts are complementary and are directed toward achieving the same objective of creating an effective state policing system capable of addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
Speaking on the ongoing process, the professor urged Nigerians to be properly informed to avoid the misconception that the Senate and the IGP’s committee are working at cross purposes. According to him, while the National Assembly is responsible for creating the legal framework required for state policing through constitutional amendments, the committee is focused on developing the operational, administrative, financial and institutional structures that would guide the implementation of the policy.
He explained that any proposal on state police would remain ineffective without the amendment of relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution, which currently provides for a centralized policing structure. “The first and most critical step is the amendment of the Constitution. It is the Constitution that currently provides for a centralised policing system in Nigeria. Until those provisions are altered, no state can legally establish or operate its own police force irrespective of the quality of the proposals being developed by any committee,” Ogunsakin stated.
He dismissed suggestions that lawmakers were attempting to hasten the introduction of state police, describing the ongoing constitutional review as a necessary legal process that must precede implementation. The committee chairman noted that the proposal being championed by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and other lawmakers seeks to create the constitutional basis for a multi-layered policing system involving the Federal Police and separate police formations across the 36 states.
According to him, constitutional amendment does not automatically translate into the immediate commencement of state policing. “The Senate is not saying state police will become operational tomorrow, next week or immediately after the constitutional amendment. What the lawmakers are doing is to initiate the legal process required to make such a system possible. That process alone may take considerable time because constitutional amendments involve several stages and rigorous procedures,” he said.
Ogunsakin further explained that after securing the required approval in the National Assembly, the proposed amendment would still require ratification by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before it could become law. Beyond the constitutional process, he stressed that significant work remains in developing the operational architecture of state policing. He identified critical areas currently under consideration by the committee to include recruitment standards, training procedures, funding arrangements, command and control structures, intelligence sharing mechanisms, inter-agency collaboration, oversight systems, accountability measures and safeguards against political interference.
According to him, stakeholders and security experts are carefully examining these issues to ensure that any eventual state police system is both effective and accountable. The professor argued that the varying security realities across different regions of the country make it imperative to design a policing framework that responds to local needs while preserving national security interests.
“Nigerians should see the constitutional amendment process and the committee’s work as two sides of the same coin. One provides the legal authority, while the other provides the practical roadmap for implementation. Without constitutional backing, implementation is impossible. Without a workable framework, constitutional amendment alone will not deliver an effective state police system,” he stated.
He therefore called for patience, informed public engagement and constructive debate on the issue, insisting that attention should be focused on developing a workable model rather than promoting a narrative of rivalry between institutions. Ogunsakin maintained that a properly structured state police system has the potential to strengthen community-based law enforcement, improve intelligence gathering and enhance the country’s overall security architecture.
He added that the success of the initiative would depend largely on collaboration among the National Assembly, state governments, security agencies, civil society organisations and the wider Nigerian public. According to him, only broad-based cooperation can produce a state policing framework that reflects Nigeria’s federal character while upholding democratic values, accountability and respect for human rights.
