State Police: Ekweremadu's Vision, Tinubu's Bold Move, Mbah's Leadership

At last, it seems that Nigeria has accepted that you cannot manage a large and diverse country like ours from Abuja alone. For over twenty years, calls to change our policing system were ignored. Attempts to pass laws for state police were often blocked by political influences and strong control from the executive branch.

Some people believed that state police would encourage secessionist movements. Others worried it would give governors too much power to stifle opposition voices.

But I think the main reason people resisted state police was that many did not see how serious the insecurity had become over the years. I remember a chat between former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ekweremadu, and a Senator from the North West, specifically from Kebbi State.

Mr Ekweremadu warned that banditry, which had just begun in far North West states, could spread to Kaduna, North Central, and the Southern regions unless lawmakers backed the creation of state police. That Senator laughed and said Ekweremadu didn't understand the North's geography, claiming that even Sokoto and other rivers would stop such evil from spreading. Today, we know he was right.

It is encouraging that, despite strong opposition to state police, a few voices like Ekweremadu kept pushing for change. At the 10th convocation lecture of the Federal University of Technology in Minna on June 3, 2010, and other events, he spoke against a centralized policing system. He highlighted that over-centralization and lack of fiscal federalism, which he called "feeding bottle federalism," were major issues in Nigeria.

He was indeed prophetic about today’s security problems. After the tragic killings in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, in 2018, Ekweremadu expressed his sadness, saying the worst part was that many more lives could be lost. He said, "There is no way you will have a big federation like Nigeria with all the diversities, and continue to operate a centralized policing system."

There comes a time when a people must face the truth. They must decide between their fears over state police misuse and the urgent threats posed by bandits, terrorists, and violent criminals.

Senator Ita Enang summed this up well. On Channels Television’s "Politics Today" in 2025, he said, "Ekweremadu was very vehement that we should have state police. He sponsored and brought a bill. But I was one of those who opposed him and campaigned against it. I worried that governors would misuse this power. But now, we should not care so much about what a governor does with it as long as he uses it to manage internal security. State police is an idea whose time has come."

This change would not have happened without a federalist and brave president like Bola Tinubu, who is willing to loosen the presidency's grip on security. This sets Tinubu apart from previous leaders. He has shown he can make tough choices, like ending fuel subsidy and changing the exchange rate. He has signed the Electricity Act, allowing states to manage their own power supply and secured financial autonomy for local governments.

President Tinubu has shown real leadership by recognizing that it is pointless to keep all security power when criminals are wreaking havoc. It takes courage to propose an executive bill to the National Assembly to support state police.

Despite gaps in the bills passed by the National Assembly, they have built on Ekweremadu’s earlier work. His proposals looked at global best practices in countries like the US, Canada, and Brazil.

Though we have only seen parts of the passed bills, it is vital for Nigerians to wait for the final version from the National Assembly. This will clarify the powers and structure of state police.

This Act will come after the constitution is amended. Regardless of opinions, the National Assembly deserves praise for this progress, and we must not let political differences undermine it.

Funding for state police has been a hot topic since the bills were passed. In a 2018 article titled "A Vote for State Police," Ekweremadu suggested that funding should be a priority from state budgets or deducted from the federal account. He also said not all states would need to create state police if they lacked funds.

But if a state cannot fund security, what can it fund? How will it build infrastructure, grow the economy, and attract investors? Section 14 2(b) of the 1999 Constitution states, "The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government." So, in my view, you must fund what you prioritize, as shown by Enugu State.

In just three years, Peter Mbah has proven that with political will and vision, anything is possible. He invested in modern security technologies, set up a Command and Control Centre for surveillance, launched over 150 security vehicles, and strengthened the Enugu State Security Trust Fund. Recently, he opened a state-of-the-art Centre for DNA Forensics and Criminal Investigation. The Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General praised this facility as a major step for national security.

In summary, creating state police is an idea whose time has come and deserves all the support to succeed.