Nigeria’s former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (rtd.), has cautioned against rushing into the establishment of state police, arguing that the country must first address the longstanding challenges affecting the existing federal policing system.
Speaking on the ongoing debate over state police, Irabor said he does not foresee a duplication of responsibilities between federal and state police structures if proper reforms and accountability measures are put in place.
The retired military chief said Nigeria already has police formations spread across the country, including at local government and community levels, questioning the argument that state police is the only solution to taking security closer to citizens.
“Sometimes we fail to realise that we currently have police stations across the country, down to the local government and village levels,” Irabor said.
He noted that while advocates of state police often argue that it would improve grassroots security, the real issue goes beyond proximity and centres on the structure of command, control and effectiveness of policing institutions.
“When people say policing needs to get to the grassroots and that state police will address this, I think they are missing the point,” he said.
According to the former defence chief, the creation of state police should be viewed primarily as a matter of administrative authority rather than simply expanding the reach of law enforcement.
“State police, vis-à-vis the Federal Police, is about command and control. We must address the ills that have affected the Federal Police and ensure they do not affect the state police,” he warned.
The debate over state police has intensified in Nigeria as insecurity continues to affect several parts of the country, with supporters arguing that state-controlled security outfits would provide faster responses to local threats.
However, critics have raised concerns over possible political interference, abuse of power and the risk of using state police structures against opponents.
Irabor’s comments add to a growing national conversation over how Nigeria can redesign its security architecture while ensuring professionalism, independence and accountability within law enforcement agencies.
