The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, has warned that any state police system must be built on constitutional clarity, strong oversight and respect for human rights, so that it protects citizens rather than intimidates them.
Ike spoke on Tuesday at the 2nd Annual Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps, with the theme, “The Imperative for State Police: Securing Communities, Strengthening Federalism.”
She said the push for state police could improve community security, strengthen federalism and promote local accountability.
According to her, the centralised policing system has left many states and communities waiting too long for a security response, while local forces would be better placed to understand and tackle the particular challenges of their areas.
State police, she said, could react faster to threats, stop conflicts from escalating and build closer ties with the communities they serve.
“Policing from a single national centre has left many states and communities waiting for responses that arrive most times too late,” she said.
Ike noted that Nigeria’s security realities vary widely, adding that the needs of riverine communities in the Niger Delta differ from those of metropolitan neighbourhoods in Lagos or farming communities in the Middle Belt.
She also said state police would ease the pressure on the Nigeria Police Force and allow for more specialised and regionally suited policing.
She cautioned, however, that state police should not be created without adequate safeguards, constitutional clarity and effective oversight.
She called for a constitutional amendment and clear legislation spelling out the jurisdiction, limits and relationship between state and federal police formations.
She also pushed for national standards on recruitment, training and discipline, as well as independent oversight bodies and civilian review mechanisms with powers to investigate abuses and enforce accountability.
Ike urged state governments to provide sustainable funding for policing and to put strong anti-corruption measures in place for procurement, recruitment and payroll management.
She stressed the need for shared intelligence systems, joint task forces and mutual-aid protocols, since criminal activities often cross state boundaries.
“State police must be rooted in respect for human rights and community-policing principles so that they protect citizens rather than intimidate them,” she said.
She urged the media and civil society to investigate and explain the proposals, hold lawmakers and government officials to account, and amplify the concerns and experiences of citizens.
The debate, she said, should be inclusive, evidence-based and transparent, rather than a passing political conversation.
“Our goal is not merely a change of structure; it is a change that delivers safety, trust and justice for Nigerians,” she added.
Ike said state police, if introduced with constitutional rigour, strong oversight, adequate resources and respect for human rights, could become a meaningful tool for securing communities and deepening Nigeria’s federal democracy.
