Demand for state police due to federal police failure — Ex-IGP Okiro

The increasing calls for state police in Nigeria reflect a perceived failure of the federal policing system to effectively manage the nation's escalating security crises, according to former Inspector-General of Police Mike Okiro. Speaking on Channels Television, Okiro asserted that the current federal police structure is fundamentally flawed.

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The Nigerian police is badly disorganised, disenchanted, demoralised, understaffed, ill-equipped and ill-trained

"The Nigerian police is badly disorganised, disenchanted, demoralised, understaffed, ill-equipped and ill-trained," Okiro stated. He argued that the demand for state police would not exist if the federal police were adequately resourced and functional. Inadequate funding, he identified, is the primary obstacle, resulting in insufficient personnel, dilapidated infrastructure, and the closure of numerous police stations nationwide.

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If the police had been well-equipped, nobody would be talking about state police. People are talking about state police because the federal police have failed. If they had succeeded, nobody would talk about it.

While acknowledging the current system's deficiencies, Okiro voiced significant reservations about establishing state police forces without robust constitutional protections. He warned of the potential for state governors to exploit such forces for political ends if effective checks and balances are not implemented. "My initial fear is abuse," he said, referencing historical instances of political violence and the potential for a return to such instability if state police are not carefully managed.

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Funding is a major problem. Most police stations are closed down because there is no manpower