Every year, there are arguments for and against the Establishment of State Policing in Nigeria as against the unified police force that we currently operate.

The bill for the establishment of the state police has passed the first reading in the Nigerian Senate today, the bill was Sponsored by Senator (Dr) Ajibola Basiru from Osun Central Senatorial District and a member of the Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The details of the bill entails Insertion of a new section 214(3) and an alteration of the 1999 constitution. The Establishment of the State police will now have a subsection in the 1999 constitution as:

(3) There shall be a Police Service for each State of the Federation, which shall be known as theState Police Service. Subject to the Provisions of the Principal Act:

(a) The State Police Service shall be organized and administered in accordance with such laws as may be prescribe by the Law passed by the State House of Assembly;

(b) The members of the State Police Service shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred on them by such Law;

(c) The State House of Assembly may make provisions for branches of a State Police Service forming part of a State Security Structures or for the protection of communities and localities.

The bill proposes that the Executive Governor of each state shall appoint the state commissioner of police on the advice of the State police council appointed from members of the State police Service. The bill also states that:

There shall be:

(a) A Commissioner of a State Police Service who, subject to Section 3 of this Bill be appointed by the Governor of the State on the advice of the State Police Council from among serving members of the State Police Service;

(b) A Head of Police shall be appointed for a Local Government Area by the State Police Service Commission.

(ii) Each State Police shall be under the Command of the Commissioner of the State Police Service.

(iii) The Governor or such other official to a State as he may authorize in that behalf may give to the Commissioner of the State Police Service such directions with respect of the maintenance and securing of Public Safety, Public Order and Community Policing as he may consider necessary and the Commissioner of the State Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.

Furthermore the Bill for the Establishment of State police also seeks to add the following to the 1999 constitution:

Section 21 – Police and other Government Security Agencies

(1) The National Assembly may make laws for the federation or any part thereof with respect to:

a. Police Force and other government security services in respect of anything pertaining to internal security and the maintenance of law and order in Nigeria;

b. Regulation of ownership and control of Federal Police and other government security services.

(2) A House of Assembly of a state may make laws with respect to:

a. The creation, formation or/and establishment of Police and other security services in respect of any matter pertaining to internal security and the maintenance of law and order within that state and with regard to the enforcement of any law validly made by the House of Assembly of that state.

b. Regulation of ownership and control of State Police and other State Government security services.

This is the first reading of the bill, at the second reading there will be debates as to whether Nigeria should operate state policing like other developed countries are currently operating or we should continue with a unified force. A State police like the Senator said will help to checkmate and curb the excesses of Nigerian Police Force officers.