Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has warned that establishing state police without constitutionally guaranteed funding could expose the proposed security system to abuse by governors, influential individuals and even criminal groups.
Speaking on Thursday at the ARISE TV Town Hall Meeting on State Police in Abuja, Bamidele said while decentralised policing is necessary, strong safeguards must be put in place to ensure accountability and financial independence.
According to him, whoever controls police funding could ultimately control police operations, making adequate and protected funding essential.
“If the state police is not well funded, it’s not only the state actors or politicians that can abuse this. Members of the business class, criminal groups and cabals can also abuse it because he who pays the piper dictates the tune,” he said.
Bamidele proposed that the law should guarantee a first-line charge for state police funding, with a fixed percentage of state budgets dedicated to policing. He added that beyond constitutional amendments, the National Assembly would also review the Police Act and enact additional laws to define operational responsibilities, funding mechanisms and safeguards against abuse.
The Senate Leader further argued that the success of state policing would also depend on the effective implementation of local government autonomy.
Also speaking at the event, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu said Nigeria’s centralised policing structure has failed to adequately protect lives and property. According to him, the current system delays emergency responses because operational approvals are often controlled from Abuja.
“By the time authorisation comes from Abuja, the crime may have already been committed. If you don’t respond on time, the damage may become irredeemable,” Kalu said.
He added that consultations by the House of Representatives showed widespread public support for decentralising policing to improve response time and strengthen community security.
Source: ARISE TV Town Hall Meeting on State Police.
