Senator Adams Oshiomhole has strongly defended the proposal for the establishment of state police, arguing that Nigeria's current security structure leaves governors constitutionally responsible for security without giving them the authority to effectively discharge that responsibility.
Speaking during a security policy discussion at a ThisDay Town Hall meeting on state policing, Oshiomhole described the existing arrangement as contradictory, insisting that governors cannot be held accountable for security challenges while lacking operational control over the police.
"If the Constitution describes the governor as the chief security officer of a state, then he must have the instruments required to perform that role," he said.
According to the former Edo State governor, the present policing structure limits governors to providing logistics and operational support without giving them powers over recruitment, promotion, discipline or deployment of police personnel.
He argued that this disconnect has weakened security management at the state level.
"You cannot call someone a chief security officer but deny him control over the security apparatus responsible for maintaining law and order," Oshiomhole stated.
Addressing concerns that state police could be abused for political purposes, the senator acknowledged that misuse of power is possible under any system but maintained that democratic institutions and public accountability should serve as safeguards.
He said abuse is not unique to state policing, noting that even existing federal institutions have faced allegations of political interference.
According to him, voters and the media have a responsibility to hold elected officials accountable if they misuse security agencies under their control.
Drawing from his experience as governor of Edo State, Oshiomhole said the state government spent substantial resources providing operational vehicles, communications equipment and logistics for federal police formations.
However, he lamented that once those assets were deployed, the state government had no legal authority to supervise their use or discipline officers accused of misconduct.
He also recalled instances in which criminal suspects allegedly arrested by state police commands were later released following directives from higher authorities outside the state, despite local security concerns.
The senator further recounted a personal experience involving the investigation into the killing of one of his aides, claiming that conflicting reports from different security agencies illustrated the limitations governors face under the current command structure.
He argued that decentralising policing would improve accountability by aligning responsibility with authority.
"If governors are to be judged by the security situation in their states, they should also be given the tools to perform that responsibility," he said.
Responding to fears that state police could become instruments of political oppression, Oshiomhole maintained that no governance system is completely immune from abuse.
"The issue is not whether abuse can occur. The issue is whether democratic institutions are strong enough to expose and punish abuse when it happens," he said.
The lawmaker also rejected suggestions that introducing state police would be a radical departure from global practice, pointing to federal systems such as the United States, where state and federal law enforcement agencies operate alongside one another with distinct responsibilities.
He argued that Nigeria's security architecture should evolve to reflect the country's federal structure rather than maintaining an overly centralised policing model.
According to Oshiomhole, the debate should focus on designing complementary roles for federal and state police rather than presenting the two as competing institutions.
He concluded that after years of persistent insecurity and repeated discussions without significant improvements, Nigeria must be willing to embrace new approaches.
"We cannot continue doing the same thing while expecting different results," he said, adding that the proposed reforms represent an opportunity to strengthen security through greater decentralisation, improved responsiveness and enhanced accountability.
The debate over state police continues to dominate national discourse as lawmakers, security experts and governors consider constitutional amendments aimed at creating state-controlled police services while addressing concerns over funding, oversight and political neutrality.
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