Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu, Charles Soludo of Anambra, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara recently declared their collective support for establishing state-level police forces in Nigeria. They voiced their positions during a televised town hall meeting hosted by Arise Television.
Governor Mbah stated that the current centralized policing structure fails to keep pace with the nation’s evolving security risks. He emphasized that governors cannot be fully accountable for public safety if they lack the operational power to act immediately. Mbah noted that his local efforts to improve security in Enugu successfully reduced crime rates by 90 percent, proving the effectiveness of decentralized control.
Governor Soludo framed the discussion as an essential step toward a stronger federal system, though he cautioned that it cannot be viewed independently. He argued that moving police oversight to the state level requires a parallel update to revenue allocation formulas to ensure it functions properly within the broader legal framework.
Governor Lawal highlighted the existing contradiction where governors are labeled chief security officers but lack direct control over police units. He believes state police will grant executives the necessary authority to protect their citizens. While acknowledging public concerns regarding potential political abuse, Lawal expressed confidence that proper institutional safeguards could effectively prevent such misuse.
