Enugu Assembly backs state police, warns against intimidation

The Enugu State House of Assembly has endorsed the establishment of state police, saying the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing system would strengthen security and improve the protection of lives and property.

The lawmakers expressed their positions on the proposed constitutional amendment to establish the State Police Service and introduce related changes to the country’s policing structure during plenary held on November 20, 2026

Supporting the proposal, Chima Obieze, member representing Ezeagu Constituency, said that state police would bring security operations closer to the people and make policing more effective.

According to him, the establishment of state police would decentralise the country’s policing architecture and enhance the protection of lives and property across the state.

Similarly, Okey Mbah, member representing Nkanu East Constituency, said the proposed arrangement could help address persistent security challenges, including violence and attacks attributed to herders in different parts of Enugu State.

Mbah argued that allowing states to manage their policing systems would improve responses to security threats and strengthen efforts to protect vulnerable communities.

He further said that state police would help curtail recurring violence and attacks by herders in various parts of the state.

However, Harrison Ogara, member representing Igbo-Eze South Constituency, cautioned that the proposed system could be vulnerable to abuse by political officeholders without adequate safeguards.

Ogara warned that state police formations could be deployed to intimidate political opponents, stressing the need for effective oversight, accountability and professional standards to protect the institution from political interference.

He also called for transparent accountability mechanisms and sustainable funding arrangements to ensure that state police personnel perform their duties in the public interest.

The lawmaker maintained that strong institutional safeguards would be necessary to prevent the proposed security structure from becoming an instrument of political control.

Uche Ugwu, speaker of the House, also commented on the proposed changes to the country’s policing institutions, suggesting that the reorganisation could influence the orientation and attitudes of personnel.

The proposed constitutional amendment includes changing the name of the Nigeria Police Force to the Federal Police Service and establishing a State Police Service.

The debate comes amid growing calls for the decentralisation of Nigeria’s security architecture to enable subnational governments to respond more effectively to security threats within their jurisdictions.

Proponents of state police argue that the arrangement would enhance local intelligence gathering, improve response times and strengthen community-based security operations.

However, concerns remain over the potential for political interference, inadequate funding and the need for robust accountability mechanisms to ensure that state police formations operate professionally and independently.

The proposed amendment seeks to address the question of how policing powers should be distributed between the federal and state governments, with its eventual implementation dependent on the constitutional amendment process.