The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has expressed concern over the ineffectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force amidst the escalating insecurity in the country.
Bamidele stated that the police system was not structured for success and advocated for the adoption of state policing to address the security issues each state faces. Speaking at the University of Ilorin’s annual distinguished Personality Lecture, organized by the Department of Political Science, he emphasized that the creation of state police, with appropriate control mechanisms, would significantly alleviate Nigeria’s pressing security concerns.
The lecture, titled “Constitutional Amendment and the Political Dynamics of State Police in Nigeria,” was chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin. Jubrin was represented by Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Oyelola Ashiru.
Bamidele dissected diverse socio-economic and political forces responsible for the dysfunctionality of the Nigeria Police and reeled out solutions to the problems of policing in Nigeria.
He said: “How the police are organized, managed, governed and funded can determine its ability to deliver on its constitutional mandate of protecting the life and property of Nigerians.
“Understanding these dynamics can help in appreciating what needs to be done to improve security in the country. It is clear that Nigerians do not fully appreciate the depth and scale of the challenges facing the police.
“I maintain that the police have not been set up properly to succeed in this nation. Effective policing in Nigeria is almost impossible unless there are fundamental changes.
“Indeed, the constraints faced by the police are used as excuses for various misconducts and unprofessional behaviors by many officers of the force.
“Despite many attempts by its leadership of the Nigeria Police to enforce discipline and even sack bad eggs, operational misconduct is still prevalent in the ranks of police operatives, and this undermines their capacity to decisively respond to pervasive insecurity nationwide.”
Also, Senator Bamidele, emphasized on the need to decentralized Nigeria Police Force, adding that it can only be successful when state government are in control of it within the state.
He said: “In order to achieve some semblance of security in this country, there is need to decentralize the police force and empower state governments to have country over their security affairs.
“It is therefore imperative that Nigeria should explore state policing as the next available option, given the apparent failure of the central police force to effectively manage the security challenges.
