By Media360impact
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, has called for the establishment of state police to improve community security, strengthen federalism and promote greater local accountability.
Ike made the call on Tuesday while delivering a speech at the 2nd Annual Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps.
The lecture was themed “The Imperative for State Police: Securing Communities, Strengthening Federalism.”
Ike said Nigeria’s centralised policing system had left many states and communities waiting too long for security responses, arguing that locally controlled police forces would be better positioned to understand and tackle security challenges peculiar to their communities.
According to her, state police could provide faster responses to threats, prevent conflicts from escalating and build stronger relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
“Policing from a single national centre has left many states and communities waiting for responses that arrive most times too late,” Ike said.
She stressed that Nigeria’s diverse security challenges required policing strategies tailored to local realities.
Ike noted that the security needs of riverine communities in the Niger Delta could differ significantly from those of densely populated neighbourhoods in Lagos or farming communities across the Middle Belt.
She added that state police could also reduce the burden on the Nigeria Police Force by allowing security responsibilities to be shared with properly structured and accountable state-level policing institutions.
However, the NUJ FCT chairman cautioned that establishing state police without adequate safeguards could create new challenges.
She therefore called for constitutional amendments and clear legislation defining the jurisdiction, powers and limitations of state police, as well as their relationship with the Nigeria Police Force.
Ike emphasised that state police must be established to protect citizens rather than become instruments of political intimidation or abuse.
She called for strong oversight mechanisms, professional standards and accountability measures to ensure that any state police system serves the public interest and respects the rights of Nigerians.
Credit: House of Representatives Press Corps
