Former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, AIG Edgar Imohimi (retd.), speaks to VICTORIA EDEME on the decision of President Bola Tinubu and state governors to consider the creation of state police
What are your thoughts on the consideration of the creation of state police by the federal and state governments?
I was happy when I read that news on Thursday. The federal structure of policing is not working and something urgent has to be done to devolve it down to the states and local governments. If the creation of state police in line with the principles of community policing is not done, we will have a problem. I’m happy that they are now thinking in that direction.
What are the challenges that could be encountered with the creation of state police?
I know that there will be challenges. The present federal police structure is on the exclusive list in the constitution. For you to have a state police, even if the President, governors, and Nigerians desire it, there must be a constitutional amendment. So in what line are you going to amend? If we say the state police should be on the concurrent list, we’d have a federal police structure and a state police structure. I think that is what I would like to see; a situation where the federal police structure remains but is smaller and caters to matters that have to do with the Federal Government. It can also deal with matters concerning all states – matters of currency, mineral resources, crimes that cut across states, etc, while the state police are formed to take care of the pressing security challenges that we have now. Policing is a grassroots matter. The idea of a single structure in Abuja controlling the entire police force in 36 states of the federation certainly cannot work anymore with the kind of security challenges that we have.
It’s going to take some time but I’m hoping that the National Assembly will take up the challenge now and become friends with the public by speeding up any constitutional change if a bill to that effect is forwarded to it. I think the time for state police is now. All these years, people have talked about control, funding, and abuse as challenges of state police. Under this present federal structure, we still have issues of funding, abuse, and control. Even the federal police are being abused by governors, politicians, and stakeholders at state levels. We have a catalogue of evidence to that effect.
Concerning funding, there are a lot of states setting up state laws and security trust funds. These are avenues that have been set up. For example, the Lagos State Security Trust Fund generates billions of naira and it assists the Lagos State Police Command in providing the equipment, logistics, and top-notch security gadgets that keep Lagos safe. Other states will have to borrow such good ideas to raise funds apart from allocations for security, to take care of their states. We cannot continue to hide under the fact that we have a funding issue.
Concerning control, that can be arranged. If there’s a constitutional amendment, it should be stated very clearly in some of the provisions there. For example, if there’s a state police, a governor cannot just fire the commissioner of police but must go through the state assembly before that can be done. Even when the commissioner and other top police officers in that state are being offered appointment letters, the state House of Assembly and leaders of thought in that state must be part and parcel of the processes. I’m very passionate about this issue of state police. I think that the time is now and any further delay may be very disastrous for the country.
Do you think the creation of state police is long overdue in Nigeria?
It is long overdue. I was interviewed by newsmen two years ago and I stated it very clearly. Even at that time, the security situation was not this bad. I stated that the federal structure of police was no longer adequate and we needed the state police to deal with some of the challenges we are having. When I was commissioner of police in Lagos, we had an issue and I took it to the traditional institution in Ikorodu. I partnered with the monarchs and we eventually got a solution to the problem. Other security agencies also joined me in the fight against those heinous crimes then. Policing is a local issue. If you have state police, the leaders in that state will look inward on how to generate money to fund that police and they will make use of local intelligence to solve security challenges.
Some states have developed security outfits like Amotekun to play the role of state police. Do you think that venture was fruitful?
Despite the shortcomings of Amotekun in weaponry as they are not armed, they are still recording some modest achievements. You can imagine if they are properly armed, trained, sponsored, and backed up by law. I think the time for state policing has come.
Would the creation of state police reduce the powers of the current Nigeria Police Force?
This was why I talked about a constitutional amendment that would provide for the policing of the country to be under the concurrent list, in which case we would still have the federal police. The federal police will still be active just like we have it in the United States and other developed democracies. The federal police will be designed to only handle matters that relate to the Federal Government and crimes that cut across states. The federal operations and investigation units of the Nigeria Police Force will still be functional. However, the amendment should also allow states to set up state police forces to deal with criminal issues that are local. The recruitment will be from within. Because they are recruited from within and have the support, mandate, and blessing of the locals, they will not have problems getting information that they can convert to intelligence to deal with crimes.
Policing is for the grassroots. The idea of a federal structure with police bosses in Abuja and resources coming from the top down to the grassroots is a problem. We need both physical and structural changes, and I’m happy that the President and the governors in their meeting on Thursday have started to consider the idea. Even when I raised it over two years ago, nobody in the government was interested in the idea of making a constitutional amendment to make room for state police. The recent consideration shows that we still have hope in this country. We have a government that is listening and responsive and that will succeed.
Should traditional rulers have a role in state police?
Traditional rulers must have a role in state policing. I was in the force for 35 years. I spent most of my career policing different areas in Lagos. Some of my major challenges were rural and my best partners were traditional rulers because my method of policing was community policing. Once I had a problem in any location, I would go to the community and make contact with the traditional rulers in that community and consider that problem solved, except when the traditional rulers were part of the problem. It is high time we give traditional rulers due recognition. They must be mandated that as traditional rulers of specific areas, they are the custodians of the norms, culture, ethos, and life of the people.
Where there is a serious social or criminal problem within their domain, it is expected that they should know the stakeholders to call forward to work with the local police and find a solution to that problem. I gave you an example of when I was commissioner of police in Lagos State how we had the Badoo crisis in Ikorodu and how I had to work with traditional institutions and the informal police sector in Ikorodu to work with me. Other examples abound in other states. So I agree that traditional rulers must have clearly defined roles in any state police structure.
Aside from traditional rulers, state government, and assemblies, what other stakeholders should be involved in the operation of state police?
There is an informal policing sector in the policing architecture in most states. In Lagos, we have the Oodua People’s Congress, the vigilante group, and other such groups. They are civilians but are responsible for policing most of the communities in Lagos. It is the same thing in many states of the federation, if not all. If there is a state police, all these groups will be brought on board and be given specific roles to work with the state police. Most of them, who are not even recruited as they can’t meet the requisite requirements to be part of the state police, will also have their roles working behind the scenes to gather information for the state police. It’s a win-win situation.
I just pray that this agreement between the Presidency and the state governors is given very speedy attention. I heard the minister of information saying they would still have a series of meetings to fine-tune their discussions. It’s fine, but they must know that there must be a timeframe. Time is running against us and we must speed it up. I expect to see more lobbies with the National Assembly now. Fortunately, the leadership of the National Assembly are men of integrity who I know and are willing to partner with the government for any issue that would bring good to the people of the country.
The security situation in Nigeria is worrisome and I know that every right-thinking and patriotic Nigerian and lover of this country is worried. We must do something about it and the first and most important thing while other efforts are ongoing is that we must start thinking of a more sustainable and better option, which is state police. We must start the process and speed it up.
Will state police creation replace police reforms or will there still be police reforms despite the creation of state police?
The structure of the police force is part of the police reform. The federal policing structure has failed on all fronts. Let us look at the Nigeria Police Force as an entity. They have not been able to grapple with violent crimes. The military personnel, who are supposed to be in the barracks, are assisting the police with internal security in almost every state of the federation, which is an anomaly. In terms of funding, the federal police are finding it hard to provide adequate logistics and modern high-tech security gadgets for its officers and men. Even with the issue of accommodation, the federal structure cannot take care of it. Most policemen are not accommodated. Places that are called barracks are an eyesore and a disgrace to the force. People who love this country have now come together to look for the possibility of having state police since the federal structure has failed.
Do you think the governors will abuse state police if created?
There are fears of control and abuse. There are some governors who if you give them a state police, they may have that urge to misuse it. Even in advanced democracies, when they did constitutional amendments and issues of local police, there were challenges and abuses. The good thing about it was that the law setting it up made provisions to check such abuses. As time went on, they were able to perfect the system. Let us remove our minds from the issues of abuse by state governors. At the onset, we may have some cases but I’m sure we will surmount that. I wish the President and state governments speed up the work as they pursue these ideas of state police.
What would be your advice to the President and governors concerning their consideration for the creation of state police?
Firstly, they should bring the National Assembly on board. I expect that the first action of the committee that they have set up to look into this will be to make contact with the National Assembly. Secondly, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice must start thinking of how to sponsor a bill to the National Assembly for the creation of state police, if that has not been done. That’s the beginning of it. Even if you wish for state police and the constitutional amendment is not done, it is impossible. The federal police force is on the exclusive list and until the National Assembly amends it, it’ll remain on the exclusive list. So that’s the first thing to do. Whatever committee they are setting up or their interactions, the National Assembly must come on board. I expect the National Assembly to be patriotic enough to know that this is a serious matter of national importance and whatever doctrine of necessity that must be out at this stage, so be it.
