Nigeria’s proposed state police face calls for constitutional safeguards

Former Nigerian Bar Association president Olisa Agbakoba wrote to Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume praising President Bola Tinubu’s executive bill to amend Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution, which would create state police. He said the reform could improve public security if implemented properly.

Agbakoba warned that without strong constitutional guarantees, state police could become tools of political oppression, as has happened with state‑run electoral commissions and local governments. He urged Nigeria to adopt a model similar to South Africa’s, granting operational independence and secure funding to institutions such as the Nigeria Police Force, INEC, EFCC, ICPC, the Central Bank, the National Judicial Council and others. He also proposed a shared appointment and removal process for state police leadership involving the Police Service Commission, governors and state assemblies to prevent executive interference.