Senator Ali Ndume has expressed support for the proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria, but cautioned that critical legal, operational, and funding concerns must be resolved before the initiative can succeed.

Speaking on the ongoing debate over police decentralisation, Ndume said state police could strengthen security across the country by improving local intelligence gathering and enabling faster responses to crime and insecurity.

The senator raised concerns about how state police forces would be funded, the legal structures that would regulate their operations, and the mechanisms needed to ensure effective coordination between state and federal security agencies. He also warned against the potential misuse of state-controlled police forces for political purposes.

Ndume’s remarks come as the National Assembly advances constitutional amendments aimed at allowing Nigeria’s 36 states to establish their own police forces alongside the federal police system.

Supporters of the proposal argue that decentralised policing would improve security responses in a country facing multiple threats, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence.

While the proposal enjoys broad political support, critics have pointed to concerns over funding disparities among states, accountability, training standards, and the risk of political interference. These issues, Ndume argued, must be thoroughly addressed to ensure that state police become an effective security solution rather than a source of new challenges.

The constitutional amendment still requires approval from at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s state assemblies before it can become law. If ratified, it would represent one of the most significant reforms of the country’s policing system in decades. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.