Policing: Panel gives reasons for 5-year state police plan

The police committee set up by the Inspector General of Police has explained why it believes it will take about five years to introduce state police in Nigeria.

Some people have criticized the timeline, saying it is too long and may delay progress. However, the committee said the five-year period is actually shorter than the nearly six years earlier suggested by state governors.

According to the panel, the process is complex and must be done carefully to avoid security problems. It involves moving over 270,000 police officers into new roles across all states and the Federal Capital Territory, while also setting up new state police systems.

The committee said the transition will happen in five stages: preparation, application, transfers, restructuring of the federal police, and final adjustments. Each stage depends on the previous one, making it difficult to rush the process without causing serious issues.

The first stage alone requires changes to the Constitution, approval of a State Police law by the National Assembly, and separate laws by each state. States will also need to create police service commissions and oversight bodies before operations can begin.

In addition, every state must build its own police system from the ground up. This includes recruitment processes, community policing structures, detention facilities, forensic units, and digital systems.

A national body will also be created to monitor standards and ensure proper oversight across the country.

The committee estimated that setting up state police will cost between ₦589 billion and ₦813 billion over five years. It said rushing the process could affect quality and coordination.

Police officers will not be forced to transfer to state police. Instead, the process will be voluntary, with proper welfare support and protection of pensions and benefits. Special consideration will be given to officers close to retirement, those on medical leave, and others with unique needs.

New officers will be recruited and trained while transfers from the federal police are ongoing. However, they will only be deployed after completing proper training.

The plan also includes building a national policing database and upgrading systems for criminal records and fingerprint identification. These will be completed in the later stages.

The committee warned about risks such as political interference, funding issues, and ethnic bias. It said the phased approach will help manage these risks and test oversight systems before full independence of state police.

About 40% of current federal police officers will remain in a restructured federal force, focusing on national duties like counter-terrorism, border security, and intelligence.

Finally, the last phase will involve reviewing the performance of state police across the country and making necessary legal adjustments.

The committee concluded that the five-year plan is the safest way to introduce state police while maintaining security and protecting the rights of officers.