A heated debate erupted on Monday between Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly over the proposal to establish state police, during a legislative dialogue on Nigeria’s security architecture.
The event, themed “Nigeria’s Peace and Security: The Constitutional Imperative,” was organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser.
While the Inspector-General opposed the creation of state police, insisting that the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) should be strengthened within its current centralized framework, the Speakers argued that the country’s worsening security situation demands a decentralised, multi-level policing system.
Egbetokun cited Sections 214(1) and 215(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which establish the NPF as the sole constitutionally recognized police force and place its control under the President and the Police Council.
“As we review our security framework, we must acknowledge that legal centralisation without operational decentralisation has hampered the NPF’s ability to address Nigeria’s vast and diverse security challenges,” the IGP said.
He outlined the current threats facing the country—from insurgency and banditry to secessionist violence and piracy—and stressed that the existing constitutional framework makes it difficult for the police to respond effectively.
However, the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers and Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, countered Egbetokun’s position. He said that state police was a “patriotic and strategic necessity” for addressing localised security challenges.
“From insurgency in the Northeast to banditry in the Northwest, and farmer-herder clashes in the Northcentral, the existing policing structure has proven to be overstretched,” Ogundoyin said. “The call for state police is not political—it is driven by the reality on the ground.”
Ogundoyin acknowledged concerns about the potential misuse of state police but argued that such risks can be mitigated through constitutional safeguards, clear command structures, and robust oversight mechanisms.
He emphasized that states already support the federal police with resources, and the creation of state police would enhance grassroots protection, improve intelligence sharing, and strengthen the overall security architecture.
The Conference of Speakers also called for improved funding, training, and welfare for security personnel, as well as updated legal tools to combat emerging threats such as cybercrime and terrorism.
While the divide between the federal police leadership and state lawmakers remains stark, Monday’s exchange underscores the growing urgency to reform Nigeria’s security system amid escalating threats and limited policing capacity.