Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has warned that state police alone cannot end insecurity without tackling poverty, unemployment and other social problems fueling crime.
Falana made the remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.
He argued that Nigeria’s insecurity debate focuses too much on policing structures instead of addressing the conditions pushing many young people into criminal activities.
“We always reduce the problem of insecurity to security architecture, in fact structure.”
“How do we have more police stations? How do we employ more policemen and women without considering social security?” he asked.
Falana questioned why governments were not creating more jobs for young Nigerians.
He also wondered why vulnerable, extremely poor and multidimensionally poor citizens were not receiving adequate government support.
“Why are more young men taking to criminality?”
“Why are we not talking about creating employment for young people?”
“Why are we not giving assistance to Nigerians that are vulnerable, extremely poor or dimensionally poor?”
“Unless you address these problems holistically, creating a state police or local government police will not address the crisis of insecurity in the country.”
His comments followed the transmission of a constitutional amendment bill on state police by President Bola Tinubu to the Senate.
The Senate approved the proposal after considering its general principles and passing it through second and third readings.
If signed into law, the legislation will replace the current policing arrangement with separate Federal and State Police Services.
The proposal also empowers governors to appoint state commissioners of police, subject to confirmation by their respective state Houses of Assembly.
Lawmakers included provisions intended to protect civil liberties and prevent political abuse of the proposed policing system.
Falana recalled that Nigeria operated a regional policing structure during the First Republic.
According to him, the arrangement was abolished because regional authorities abused police powers.
He said Nigeria must first resolve the problems that destroyed the previous dual policing system.
“If we now want to go back to the status quo ante bellum, we must ask questions.”
“The fears that were entertained, the problem that led to the abolition of the dual policing system, have they been taken care of?”
“I haven’t seen any signs.”
“I have seen the bill passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, the bill is so sketchy.”
Falana also expressed concern over accountability under state police.
He questioned whether adequate checks and balances exist to prevent abuse of power.
The senior lawyer further doubted the financial capacity of several state governments to sustain independent police services.
He noted that many states still struggle to pay workers’ salaries and pensions regularly.
