Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, recently stated that outdated regulations mandating centralized police control in Nigeria are no longer viable. Speaking at an Arise Television town hall event regarding the implementation of state police, Kalu expressed his support for shifting toward a localized policing structure.
He emphasized that the primary duty of any government is safeguarding citizens and their assets. According to Kalu, the current system suffers from significant delays because authorization must originate from Abuja, often resulting in slow responses to emergencies in distant locations. He argued that law enforcement becomes far more efficient when officers possess intimate knowledge of local terrain and are stationed closer to the communities they serve.
Both chambers of the National Assembly have already moved forward by passing legislation to authorize the formation of state-level police forces.
