If state policin is introduce in nigeria which wul be control by the governor of a state. Do you guys think security wul be better?

As i just stated in the '10,000 strong unit for Jos' thread, a state specific intelligence and security force would be highly beneficial. This is because each region and more specifically state has its own problems that are particular to it and uncommon elsewhere.

Consider the kidnapping in the east, if a unit of about 3,000 men per state was setup before kidnappings, each states unit would have tackled it and nipped it in the bud.

The only problem I have with your idea is that I do not believe it prudent to put such power in the hands of any state governor (especially the likes of Alao-Akala of Oyo state). Rather i think its better to have one commander in each state that reports directly to the presidency.

Although there is the fear that the governor may turn the state police for personal use. Such fear to me is base on blind mindedness with a state police in place and federal agents in place to deal with the police for any wrong move, security will be greatly improve.

I think we should try something in-between Centralised policing and State Policing.

Maybe have the IG and 6 autonomous DIGs controlling the 6 Geopolitical zones.
The IG can be a trained Police/Lawyer whose focus will be on liaising with Politicians to craft Policing policies, monitoring the activities of the DIGs and liaising with the PSC on issues of AIG and DIG appointments.

A new funding stream for the police can be introduced to help them become independent instead of depending on money from Governors or the President. Instead of having police collecting N20 everyday on the road; a new police tax can be introduced where every motorist pays a certain amount, every landlord pays a certain amount, every shop owner pays a certain amount, every company owner pays a certain amount monthly to this fund.

The people can be given the right to have a referendum on the regional DIG if they think the police are not doing their job.

And finally this business of posting police officers to regions where they clearly do not understand the local language and clearly can not interact easily with the local population should be discarded. It is time to have police officers serving in regions where they know, know the people and feel attached to the security of that area. That way it will be easier for Police to gather intelligence and hence be more proactive.

Your suggestion is a very intelligent one to start with, the only problem is "are the block headed thieves called legislators and the confused president ready to think about it?"

This idea is not so good in the nigeria of today.The reason being that the guys we have in government today are not politicians-they are thieves and will surely use it to perpetrate evil as always.

az77zy:

Although there is the fear that the governor may turn the state police for personal use. Such fear to me is base on blind mindedness with a state police in place and federal agents in place to deal with the police for any wrong move, security will be greatly improve.

I like your suggestion. Better still, we could have state police receiving Federal funding rather than state funding. This way, you make it more independent of the state government's manipulative tendencies. Something on the scale of regional police should also be considered. The major obstacle here is that, such police outfits could be hijacked by ethnic bigots who could use them to launch violent and discriminatory acts on people not perceived to be from a particular ethnic group etc.

I am for state police, which should make them accountable to the state, but ok to retain NPF for jurisdiction settlement. When I was in Ibadan many years ago, they used to have local police with khaki uniform and I think it worked, they know the area and any domestic problems were taken care of by them.

I aslo forgot to add that we also have to criminalise people handing money to the police for any reason whatsoever.

It is an eyesore and both the giver and taker should be purnished under the law.

Police Reform, that is the one thing Ribadu should dedicate the rest of his life to instead of running for Presidency that he has no clue about. I will suggest that whoever wins the next election should appoint Ribadu head of Police Service Commission so that he can help rebuild the Nigerian police.

I do not think Nigeria is ripe for state police at the moment. The Nigeria police can be reformed with the right person in charge. How hard can it be to stop police collecting money at checkpoints? If the CP of Rivers Stae Police command sets up a task force and they all dress in mufti and drive unmarked cars along Ph-Enugu expressway, and run a covert operation, they will catch all those collecting money. Simple!! reform is not that hard to do for those who want to get it done.

Anyway, read my blog below for my own comments on State police. This was written sometimes last year.

http://wayforwardnaija..com/2009/10/need-for-and-impossibility-of-state.html

Enjoy.

The premise that state police will not work in Naija or will be abused by the governors is unfounded. States in Nigeria already have their own courts controlled by the governors (after all they appoint all the principal officers). Why are they not using their courts to jail their political opponents

Which is more dangerous, for a governor to control the police or to control the courts? We might as well ask the federal government to take over all state courts in Nigeria and vest the dispensation of justice only on the federal government since we are running a unitary system

State don't deserve to run their own courts, Only the federal government should have that power If this argument sounds ridiculous, then denying states the capacity to enforce the laws they pass (through their police) is also ridiculous.

The states already have their own police. What do I mean? Well what are LASTMA, KAI etc in Lagos? According to the constitution of Nigeria, only the Nigeria Police Force can arrest a citizen of the country. Don't all these organizations have their own cells? Don't they detain/arrest people?

What people mean when they talk about state police is a desire to ignore the NPF completely.

Recipe for disaster. we are too tribalisc and not matured enough. the concept has not been digested enough already and you can see what Kai and lastma is doing in lagos.

This my picture of state police: poorly dressed, no uniform just a dirty arm band indicating state police, bare feet and a dane gun slung on his shoulder. My question is who will fund them? One has to bother about equipment, training, pension. As to corrupt politicians securing loyalty from the police by recruiting tribal areas or to legitimatize touts. Also would federal police remain? To me its a bad idea.

State police ke? Dont even think about it.

not in the next 100 years

Bad bad idea. What we need is a disciplined and professional Police force under sincere leadership. Forget about Whether it's Fed. or State.

State Police wetin??

na d same people.

How do you expect a policeman who hail from Sabongida Ora and stationed in Maiduguri to thoroughly investigate a kidnapping or robbery case down there and conversely? I am for state police, the closer the government is to the governed, the more accountability is expected.

State Police makes sense to me, they will have jurisdiction to arrest statewide,they would be accountable to State government,not the local politicians in various LGA's,they would help train officers in smaller municipalities,they would provide law enforcement on all major highways.
Many local communities are overwhelmed and ill equipped to police their regions now,State police would address that.

state police would definitely work in naija

The state police thing is a great idea that i would welcome very much but wielding its power to the governor is a mistake we must not make.

kabukabu50:

state police would definitely work in naija

Are you sure you live in the west? so from your experiences there compared to that of living in Nigeria at one time you have come to that conclussion. Do you think state police would work in the US if the rule of law and jurisdictional observance did not exist or was well enforced? No be by posting pictures oooo. it takes a lot more. have you considered how tribalistic and nepotistic nigerians are?

State police should not be controlled by the governor.I would best if nigeria adopts the same policing system as the U.S.

sign a petition here

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41656.html

As Nigeria is, the only solution to our crisis is the people. We can not live without fear when the corrupt citizens of the country seeks to annihilate others that they see as rivals under the pretext of religious codes that allows for that.
Corruption is the bedrock of our crisis, even with the introduction of State Police there would still be problems of terrorism in this country; because corruption has changed the value of morality in this country i.e everyone has their own price.
Thus, evil religious fanatics will keep aiding the evil works of these terrorists in this nation, thanx 2 their wealth which by God they earned thru corruption.

I still favour state police over what we have right now. Currently, there is no accountability, everybody wants the IG or the center to solve a local crime, a policeman from that particular area will or should have vested interest in development of his/her, but when you are far removed from that village, what do you care? I think it would be very hard for a Yoruba man to go and do kidnapping business in Abia without him sticking out like a sore thumb

The same as in corruption, most of the politicians feel that they have to steal with impunity and share in the national cake (oil) since the money is not coming of their constituent pockets

safariman:

I still favour state police over what we have right now. Currently, there is no accountability, everybody wants the IG or the center to solve a local crime, a policeman from that particular area will or should have vested interest in development of his/her, but when you are far removed from that village, what do you care? I think it would be very hard for a Yoruba man to go and do kidnapping business in Abia without him sticking out like a sore thumbThe same as in corruption, most of the politicians feel that they have to steal with impunity and share in the national cake (oil) since the money is not coming of their constituent pockets

what logic!!! My God!!! you are talking as if only people from other tribes commit crimes in states other than their states of origin. and your post about politicians, pleeeaaaasssseeee. have you not been a witness to what our councilors and governors have been doing to people from their own states? My guy, i think you have stayed too long in the west and are far removed from the happenings and realities on ground in Nigeria. stay current for your own sake. The problem in the Nigeria is simple. The mentality of corruption has been cemented into our psychy and only God can save us now. State police will not solve anything. what is prevailent in the federal force will tripple with the adoption of state police.

^^^
No, I am not saying that only local people from that particular area commit the crimes solely in their area, I was saying that it may be easier for the local policeman to perform his investigation better because of the language, tribal similarity etc, but of course places like Lagos, Jos and other big cities, that may not work.

And I do know that local, state, senators are looting their own people's allocated money, but if people felt that this is their taxes that this politicians are looting, they'll be more upset

Can we agree that it will be more difficult if you place a Tiv/Kanuri policeman who may not speak Yoruba and locate him to Iseyin to solve crime?

safariman:

^^^
No, I am not saying that only local people from that particular area commit the crimes solely in their area, I was saying that it may be easier for the local policeman to perform his investigation better because of the language, tribal similarity etc, but of course places like Lagos, Jos and other big cities, that may not work.

And I do know that local, state, senators are looting their own people's allocated money, but if people felt that this is their taxes that this politicians are looting, they'll be more upset

Can we agree that it will be more difficult if you place a Tiv/Kanuri policeman who may not speak Yoruba and locate him to Iseyin to solve crime?

Agreed. that is why we need more indegenous policemen with local knowledge of their environs.

I'm all for State police. Things will get worse in a few places but things will get better in way more places.