The proposed establishment of state police has continued to generate heated national debate, with senior human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, warning that Nigeria has yet to reach a broad national consensus on the reform.
Speaking during a televised discussion on the constitutional amendment seeking to establish state-controlled police forces, Falana argued that while insecurity remains a pressing concern, the current proposal raises significant constitutional, political and financial questions that must be addressed before implementation.
According to Falana, one of the clearest indications that consensus has not been achieved is the ongoing hesitation among lawmakers and state governments over the proposal.
"I think one issue we are missing even at the level of government is that there is no consensus yet on state police," he said.
He explained that this lack of agreement is reflected in the differing opinions of legislators across the country, particularly in state Houses of Assembly that will ultimately determine whether the constitutional amendment succeeds.
Under Nigeria's constitutional amendment process, the proposal must receive approval from at least 24 of the 36 state legislatures before becoming law.
Falana noted that several state governments have already expressed concerns about their financial capacity to establish and maintain fully operational police services.
He questioned whether states currently struggling to meet salary obligations would be able to recruit, train, equip and adequately fund independent police commands.
"Some states are simply saying they cannot fund state police themselves," he observed.
Analysts have similarly warned that without sustainable financing, decentralizing policing could create uneven security standards across the federation.
One of the strongest arguments against state police, Falana said, remains the concentration of political power in the hands of governors.
He recalled previous incidents where governors allegedly deployed political loyalists against opponents, arguing that such experiences fuel public fears that state-controlled police could be weaponized for partisan purposes.
"Governors already wield enormous powers. From experience, we have seen situations where a sitting governor allegedly sent thugs to demolish the house of a political opponent within the same party," he said.
Falana also referred to cases where individuals allegedly involved in politically motivated violence were eventually apprehended by federal security agencies, arguing that these experiences underline the need for robust safeguards before decentralizing policing.
The senior advocate criticized the National Assembly for not conducting wider public consultations before advancing the constitutional amendment.
According to him, reforms of such national importance should be subjected to comprehensive public hearings involving stakeholders from across the country.
"The National Assembly ought to have promoted public hearings on this matter. People should be allowed to come forward and argue for or against the proposal," Falana stated.
He stressed that security challenges differ from one state to another and that local communities should have an opportunity to contribute to discussions on how policing should be structured.
Falana maintained that Nigeria's diverse security landscape requires careful consideration rather than a uniform approach.
He argued that every state possesses unique social, economic and security realities that should influence the design of any decentralized policing framework.
"Each state has its peculiarities, and those peculiarities must be considered before a final model is adopted," he said.
Despite the concerns, supporters of the proposal continue to argue that state police could significantly improve security by strengthening local intelligence gathering and enabling quicker responses to crime.
Some advocates believe that once the institutional framework is properly designed and implemented, decentralized policing could dramatically reduce kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry and other violent crimes.
During the discussion, proponents described state police as a potential "silver bullet" capable of addressing many of Nigeria's long-standing security challenges if supported by effective structures and competent leadership.
However, Falana cautioned against expecting state police alone to resolve Nigeria's security crisis.
He argued that competence, professionalism, accountability and adequate funding remain more important than merely creating new policing institutions.
According to him, structural reforms must be accompanied by investments in training, intelligence gathering, technology, oversight mechanisms and respect for human rights.
Security experts have similarly noted that effective policing depends not only on organizational structure but also on operational efficiency, community trust and coordinated intelligence among all security agencies.
The proposed state police amendment remains one of the most significant constitutional reforms currently under consideration in Nigeria.
While supporters view decentralization as necessary to confront rising insecurity, critics insist that stronger constitutional safeguards, independent oversight and clear funding arrangements must be established to prevent abuse and ensure accountability.
As deliberations move to the state Houses of Assembly, the debate is expected to intensify, with lawmakers, civil society groups, security experts and citizens weighing the potential benefits against the risks of transferring greater policing powers to state governments.
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