By Oluwakemi Kindness
A research paper by police participants of the National Defence College (NDC) Course 34 has proposed transferring about 60 per cent of existing police personnel to state police services as part of a framework for implementing state policing and strengthening internal security by 2035.
The research, titled “State Police and Internal Security: Strategic Options for the Nigeria Police Force by 2035,” was presented to the IGP at the Force Headquarters in Abuja by Commissioner of Police Sylvester Afunluhi on behalf of the police participants.
Afunluhi said the proposal was designed to prepare the Nigeria Police Force for the operationalisation of state police following ongoing constitutional reforms.
He said the framework recommends a dual policing architecture comprising a Federal Police Service and 36 state police services, while the Federal Capital Territory would remain under the Federal Police.
“The Force Headquarters submitted a 75-page framework to the National Assembly outlining the structural, legal and operational modalities for a dual policing system,” he said.
“The framework also proposes that about 60 per cent of Nigeria’s existing police personnel would move to the states to enhance internal security.”
According to him, implementation would begin with constitutional amendments, followed by the establishment of institutions, personnel transition and full operational deployment.
The study also proposed a constitutionally backed State Police Fund, financed through a three per cent allocation from the Federation Account and mandatory contributions from state governments’ security budgets.
The CP said the recommendations drew lessons from countries such as India and Ethiopia, where decentralised policing has strengthened internal security through effective collaboration between federal and sub-national police authorities.
He, however, acknowledged concerns over the proposed state police system, including fears of political interference, inadequate funding and disparities in operational capacity across states.
“There are fears in some quarters that state police institutions could be misused for political intimidation, suppression and electoral manipulation,” he said.
“There are also concerns regarding the funding capacity of some states and the possibility of human rights abuses.”
Afunluhi argued that the proposed constitutional framework preserves the role of the Federal Police, which would intervene only during a complete breakdown of law and order or at the request of a state government.
He also cited the Nigeria Police Force’s community policing programme as evidence that decentralised policing can improve security outcomes, noting that about 25,000 community policing officers have been trained nationwide, while 4,187 suspected criminals were arrested within seven months of the programme’s pilot phase.
Responding, IGP Olatunji Disu, described the research as timely and relevant to the national conversation on police reform.
“The subject is not only timely, but also relevant to the ongoing national conversation on policing reforms and the evolving security architecture of our country,” he said.
Disu commended the police participants for what he described as a rich and practical study, saying the recommendations could strengthen the Force’s framework for implementing state police.
“The research is really, really rich. Sincerely, we should have done this earlier. This would have saved us sitting down through the night rushing ourselves to create another framework,” the IGP said.
“But it is not late. We still have time to utilise this wonderful job that you have done.”
He assured the participants that the Nigeria Police Force would make effective use of the document.
“I thank the school for taking the time to ensure that we come up with this wonderful book that will last centuries. We are still going to make effective use of it,” he added.
The IGP also praised the study for addressing public concerns over state policing, including fears of political abuse and the circumstances under which the Federal Police should assume control.
“You have mentioned issues bordering on the fears of Nigerians. Will state police be hijacked? You have talked about federalisation, where the Federal Police can take over when state policing is not going well,” Disu said.
He further applauded the comparative analysis of policing models in India, Ethiopia and the United States, saying Nigeria could benefit from their experiences.
“There is no better way of adopting it than by examining countries that have experienced state policing so that we can gain from their wealth of experience,” he said.
Earlier, Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral A Ahmed, described the research as a timely contribution to Nigeria’s security discourse.
Ahmed said the study was undertaken entirely by police participants of NDC Course 34, while faculty members provided only academic guidance and methodological support.
“It is our sincere hope that the findings and recommendations contained in this paper will contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national conversation on police reform and provide useful strategic perspectives for strengthening the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.
The presentation comes as Nigeria advances constitutional reforms aimed at establishing state police to strengthen internal security and improve policing across the country.
