The Nigeria Governors’ Forum NGF has said that any proposal to establish state police in the country must be carefully designed to align with Nigeria’s federal structure and ensure the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights.

The position was contained in discussions held at a recent governors’ meeting in Abuja where key security reforms and the decentralisation of policing were reviewed.

The governors noted that while Nigeria’s current centralised policing system has faced challenges in addressing rising insecurity including banditry kidnapping and other violent crimes any reform must be backed by strong legal and institutional safeguards.

According to the forum state police if eventually adopted must be constitutionally grounded and clearly defined to prevent misuse or abuse of power by state authorities.

They cautioned that without strict oversight mechanisms state controlled police forces could be used to intimidate political opponents or suppress citizens’ rights which could undermine democracy at the state level.

The NGF also confirmed that consultations are ongoing with legal and security stakeholders including state attorneys general to develop a framework that would guide the establishment and operation of state police.

The debate over state police comes amid growing national calls for restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture to improve local response to insecurity across different regions.

Lawmakers have already advanced proposals for constitutional amendments to allow states to establish their own police forces though the reform still requires approval from state assemblies before becoming law. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.