Governors of Ondo, Rivers, Oyo and Jigawa states have restated their commitment to state police.
They said the fear of abuse should not stop its establishment.
They also believe safeguards can be put in place to address such concerns.
The governors spoke during the breakout session of the ongoing Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos.
The conference theme is: “Pressing forward: a national posture for rebuilding Nigeria”.
The session’s sub-theme was: “Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu Leadership Series: Is state police a solution to national insecurity?”
Ondo State Lucky Aiyedatiwa said the centralised policing structure has proven inadequate in the face of the complex and evolving security challenges.
“Times were when the centralised conventional police tried to manage our internal security system.
“The advent of kidnapping, banditry, cattle-rustlings, farmer-herder clashes and terrorism is an evolution in security threats that calls for new approaches to security architectures and crime prevention in our country.
“We require a decentralised security system that takes into account our diverse socio-cultural, terrains and environmental peculiarities in the management of crimes.
“Our collective inadequacies in not measuring up to the responsibility imposed by Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which provides that ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.
“This, no doubt, calls for an urgent need to enshrine state policing as a constitutional right”.
He noted that for too long, the country has grappled with the scourge of insecurity, watching helplessly as the centralised policing model proved woefully inadequate.
Aiyedatiwa believes that with the right safeguards and governance structures in place, state policing can be the transformative solution the country needs.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Eborama, reiterated his support for state police, saying it was the best way to check rising insecurity.
He highlighted many inefficiencies in the current policing structure, especially in states facing frequent kidnappings and other violent crimes.
“Constitutionally, Nigeria is a federation. Can a central police, from top to bottom, effectively tackle crime in Nigeria? It cannot”, Fubara asserted.
He pointed to the United States model, noting that their multi-layered policing system allows for a more effective response to crime.
On fears that state police could be abused, he said: “Is there any situation in Nigeria that is not abused? The fear of abuse of state police cannot be used to deny its establishment”.
Adamawa State Governor Umaru Fintri also backed state police but said the federal police would also be needed.
The governor, represented by Attorney-General, Bello Fanini, said: “A multi-layered police system that would allow state-level policing to complement the federal police is what we need as a country.
“The federal police are still needed. Why? Because of the dynamics of crime and the importance of synergy between state and federal forces”.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde pledged support for the establishment of state police.
Represented by a former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo (SAN), the governor challenged the long-held myths surrounding the country’s centralised police system.
Makinde emphasised the urgency of adopting state policing, to tackle the rising insecurity across the nation.
He recalled the Southwest governors’ resolve to explore constitutional frameworks, that would enhance the creation of state policing.
The governor expressed concerns about the concept of community policing, which was being promoted as an alternative by federal authorities.
“State policing may be an aspect of community policing, but it has a different character”, he argued.
He also dismissed the myth that policing must be conducted solely at the federal level.
The Oyo governor labelled it as a myth that was not borne out by data, statistics, or the reality of everyday life.
He noted that Amotekun – the Southwest’s security outfit – has proven that state policing can make a difference.
