State Police Could Become Oppression Tools Without Safeguards, Warns Agbakoba

The establishment of state police in Nigeria risks becoming a tool for political oppression if not accompanied by robust constitutional safeguards, warns Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Agbakoba has called on the federal government to seize the opportunity presented by the proposed creation of state police to enact sweeping constitutional reforms. These reforms, he argues, are crucial to protect key democratic institutions, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), from undue executive interference.

While commending President Bola Tinubu's initiative to amend the constitution for state police, Agbakoba cautioned that without proper checks, state police could be abused by governors. He cited the example of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and local government councils, which he believes have been largely co-opted by state executives, demonstrating that devolution of power without institutional independence can create new problems.

To prevent such a scenario, Agbakoba suggested Nigeria adopt a constitutional framework similar to South Africa's. In South Africa, institutions supporting democracy, like the Public Protector and the Human Rights Commission, are constitutionally protected, ensuring their independence through secure tenure, guaranteed funding, and accountability to Parliament rather than the executive. Agbakoba believes Nigeria should extend similar constitutional independence to its police force, INEC, EFCC, ICPC, CBN, and the National Judicial Council.

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Devolution without institutional protection is reform in name only.