Opinion

Is Nigeria Ripe For State Police?

Published

14 years ago

June 18, 2012

For sometime now, many Nigerians have been clamouring for state police. This they say will foster peace and security in the country.

Our correspondent, Calista Ezeaku went round the town to ask the people if Nigeria is actually ripe for state police, especially in view of the security challenges currently facing the nation.

Ken Nwiueh captured their facial expressions.

Alhaji Umaru Ewunee, a Graphic Artist

The truth of the matter is that in Nigeria, we have police already. Are those policemen not working? If they have one defect or the other, are they not the ones to train the ones we will recruit as State Police?

The people that would be in the State Police, are they not Nigerians? Are they not seeing what is happening in the country? So the issue is that as long as they are police, I believe, they will also be corrupt.

However, I also believe that state policemen will be able to secure the states more, having come from those particular states. If I am from a particular state, I will do a better job in securing my people, than somebody from another state.

It is just like the vigilante groups, when they are well trained, they guard their territories better than somebody from another locality. So if we recruit people from our localities for that very purpose, I believe it’s going to yield better results.

However, whether we have Federal Police or State Police, if the policemen are not paid well, there will still be the problem of inefficiency and corruption. The major problem we have in Nigeria today is corruption.

If the issue of corruption is being tackled, I believe they will work with their minds. If they are paid well, they will work with their minds, because what makes them to be corrupt is because they are not paid well.

You cannot see your fellow citizens working in places like oil companies, driving cars and building houses and you, working as a police man probably with the same qualification can hardly make ends meet, and will not be tempted to be corrupt.

So if the policemen are paid well and being taking care of adequately, I believe, they will render better services.

Dr Job Akien Alli, a Lecturer

The answer could be yes or no. Yes, because State Police are going to be paid by the states. Each state must have a certain number of policemen they would desire with regard to the security problems in their region. That would determine the number of police they would employ to handle any crisis. That will also help them to train them in any level without seeking external aid. So state police will help states to train their policemen in the areas of their own peculiar security challenges.

But if it is a federal police system, with the mixture of different qualities of policemen, you can bring policemen not trained on a particular crisis case to a place and they will not be able to handle the situation and that could result to more crisis or yield negative results. They could even turn the situation to their own advantage, as it is happening now.

But on the other hand, I will say no, Nigeria is not ripe for State Police. Because of the political scenario, Nigeria’s democracy is too young for state police.

The way and manner we carry out security issues in this country is still alarming and disappointing.

The reasons are these, every big man-a governor, a minister, law makers, chairmen of local government areas, even councillors, want to control the police with the people’s money.

You know in Nigeria we are so money-conscious. That is why State Police will not be a good thing. If every one is not corrupt, if everyone is honest and has integrity, we can run State Police without any bias.

But because of the desire for money, making money as a god, state police cannot be okay in this country. Because when the state police comes to reign, the rich will suppress the poor in every matter that would involve the police. They will jail them because they have money to jail them.

Even now that State Police is not operating, you can see some people putting innocent people in prison, which cases had never appeared in a court of law at all, talkless of state police. When the main “Oga” is the governor and he has a hierarchy of boys, and the boys will be threatening you, “the governor is my man, we are in the same party, I will lock you up and nothing will happen”.

It happens. So Nigeria is not ripe for State Police with the kind of administration we are running.

Besides, who would make up the State Police if not the boys of those in authority? The man who is on seat will want to employ his community’s men more in the police. So if his community and another community have a problem, he will send the police of his own community to suppress the other community that has no police.

Because surely, the quota system will not be used in recruiting the policemen. They will make noise about the quota system, but the implementation of the quota system will not be there. So bias, tribalism, religion and other things will set in.

So until corruption is wiped out from the country, until everyone is becoming conscious of his integrity, his personality, not to soil his name, we need not think of State Police.

When we were small, we used to hear that a good name is better than silver and gold. Until that mentality is built in Nigerians, of patriotism and integrity of persons, there shall be no state police.

Bright Bie Kara, a Student

The issue of state police is a welcome development. I love it, the idea is good. I think State Police will help to tackle most of the problems in our communities better. It will create employment for our youths too, so that they will stop all the cultism and criminal activities they are involved in.

Deacon Prince Enyi Princewill, a Politician

State Police is not necessary. What I will rather suggest is that we should have proper community vigilante groups with legal backing. State police will begin to create some kind of alteration in the Federal system.

We have a federal system and the Nigerian police is under the exclusive list. So, by the time you start talking of State Police, it will mean moving the police from the exclusive list to either concurrent or residual list.

So, instead let there be legally backed vigilante groups or community policing. If we adopt State Police, it means we are no longer operating a federal system of government. A man from Ondo should be able to serve in Rivers State. A Rivers man should be able to serve in Sokoto. That retains, maintains and sustains our federal system.

Miss Lilian Pueba, a Student

I think Nigeria is ripe for State Police because that will ensure adequate, effective security of our communities and the state. The current system where policemen are posted to states other than their states of origin results in poor commitment to the job. If you know me, you will want to treat me better.

Jacinta Chinyere Nnaji, a Lawyer

Actually, there are pros and cons to having a State Police. The police system as it is now is tilting more to the federal side. There is no attachment to the people as it is because they see themselves as answerable to only the state or local governments.

So they kind of do what they like because it is a federal system and they don’t have any answer to anybody here.

But if we have a State Police, there will be more checks and balances. The state government is there, the chairman of a local government is there. People watch them and they can easily report them to somebody. They will check them really.

On the other hand, if we have state police, those in authority may have adverse control of the police. They can even use the police against their opponents, especially during elections. Some other person who is a money bag can also pay the police and use them for negative reasons. People can use the police to intimidate their enemies or opponent, or cause problems in the society.

But if you ask me, I think I will prefer State Police because the police as it is now does not answer anybody because they feel, “who are you? You don’t pay my salary”. So they do as they like and it is wrong.

However, as it stands now, you cannot just say states should have their police, except you amend the constitution to incorporate that in the constitution.

Opinion

Trans-Kalabari Road: Work In Progress

Published

4 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

Quote:”This Dream project is one of the best things that have happened to the people and residents of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas in recent times.”

This is the concluding part of this story featured in our last edition.

Good road network helps farmers to convey their agro-allied products to commercial hubs where buyers and sellers meet periodically to transact business. Road network engineers and motivates people resident in unfriendly geographical terrains, like riverine areas, to own property and shuttle home with ease. Some people will prefer living in their own houses in a more serene and nature-blessed communities to living in the city that is fraught with pollution, and other environmental, social and economic hazards. Prior to the cult epidemic that ravaged parts of Rivers State, the Emohuas, Elemes, Ogonis, and Etches were known for rural dwelling. Most public servants from these areas do their official and private transactions from their villages. For them it was comparatively easier to live in the village and engage in a diversified economic endeavours through farming, fishing or other lucrative business without outrageous charges and embarrassment associated with doing business in Port Harcourt, where land is as scarce as the traditional needle.

That is why the decision to construct the Trans-Kalabari Road by the administration of Dr. Peter Odili was one of the best decisions that administration took. When Dr. Odili vacated office as the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi took over and awarded contracts for continuation of the road project which in my considered view is the felt need of the people of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas. Unfortunately, Rt. Hon. Amaechi’s efforts to drive the project was sabotaged by some contractors some of whom are Kalabari people. The main Trans-Kalabari Road is one project that is dear to the people and residents of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas of Rivers State. This is because through the road commuters can easily access several communities in the three local government areas. For instance, the road when completed will enable access to eight of the ten communities in Degema Local Government Area, namely: Bukuma, Tombia, Bakana, Oguruama, Obuama, Usokun, Degema town and the Degema Consulate. It will also link 15 of the 16 communities in Asari Toru Local Government Area. The communities are: Buguma, the local government headquarters, Ido, Abalama, Tema, Sama, Okpo, Ilelema, Ifoko, Tema, Sangama, Krakrama, Omekwe-Ama, Angulama. The road will also connect 14 of 17 wards in Akuku Toru Local Government Area, and other settlements. It is interesting to note that It is faster, and far more convenient and economical for the catchment Communities on the Trans-Kalabari Road network to go to the State Capital than the East West Road. The people of the three local government areas will prefer to work or do their transactions in Port Harcourt from their respective communities to staying in Port Harcourt where the house rent and the general cost of living is astronomically high.

Consequently, development will seamlessly spread to the 28 out of 34 communities of Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas. The only Communities that are not linked by the road project are Oporoama in Asari Toru, the Ke and Bille Communities in Degema Local Government Area and the “Oceania” communities of Abissa, Kula, Soku, Idama, Elem Sangama of Akuku Toru Local Government Area. But because of the economic value of the unlinked Communities to Nigeria, (they produce substantial oil and gas in the area), the Federal, State Governments and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), can extend the road network to those areas just as Bonny is linked to Port Harcourt and the Lagos Mainland Bridge is connecting several towns in Lagos and neighbouring States.Kudos to previous administrations who had constructed the Central Group axis.

However, what is said to be the First Phase of the Trans-Kalabari Road project is actually a linkage of the “Central Group” Communities which consists of Krakrama, Angulama, Omekwe. Ama, Omekwe Tari Ama, Ifoko, Tema, Sangama. It is the peripheral of the Trans-Kalabari Road. The completion of the Main Trans Kalabari project will free Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor areas from congestion. It will motivate residents and people of the three local areas to contribute to the development of their Communities. If the Ogonis, Etches, Emohuas, Oyigbos, Okrikas, Elemes can feel comfortable doing business in Port Harcourt from home, residents and people whose communities are linked to Port Harcourt through the Trans-Kalabari Road will no doubt, do likewise. The vast arable virgin land of the Bukuma people can be open for development and sustainable agricultural ventures by Local, State and Federal Government.

It is necessary to recall that the Bukuma community was host to the Federal Government’s Graduate Farmers’ Scheme and the Rivers State Government moribund School-to-Land Scheme under Governor Fidelis Oyakhilome. Bukuma was the only community in Degema, Asari Toru and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas that has the capacity to carry those agricultural programmes. However the lack of road to transport farm produce to Port Harcourt and facilitate the movement of the beneficiaries of the scheme who lived in the community which is several miles away from the farms, hampered the sustainability of the programme. The main Trans-Kalabari Road remains the best gift to the people of Degema, Asari Toru, and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas. Kudos to Sir Siminilayi Fubara.

By: Igbiki Benibo

Opinion

That U.S. Capture of Maduro

Published

4 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

Quote:”Strategic convenience does not nullify sovereignty. Political frustration does not authorise military abduction.”

The first part of this story was published in our last edition.

In Africa and the Middle East, regime change—whether by invasion, proxy warfare, or sanctions—has often left behind fractured states, weakened institutions, and prolonged instability. Washington’s motivations in Venezuela are widely understood: vast oil reserves, alliances with U.S. rivals, and symbolic defiance of American influence in the Western Hemisphere. But none of these reasons confer legal or moral legitimacy. Strategic convenience does not nullify sovereignty. Political frustration does not authorise military abduction. If every powerful nation acted on its grievances in this manner, global chaos would inevitably follow. International law provides mechanisms for accountability. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), individuals accused of crimes against humanity or other grave offences are subject to investigation and prosecution through judicial processes.

Likewise, extradition treaties, mutual legal assistance agreements, and Interpol mechanisms exist to ensure accountability while respecting due process. These frameworks were designed precisely to prevent unilateral enforcement of “justice” by military force. The most profound consequence of America’s action may not be in Caracas, but in the precedent it sets. If the world accepts that a superpower can unilaterally depose another country’s president, then the foundation of the international system is weakened. Sovereignty becomes conditional—no longer a right, but a privilege tolerated at the discretion of the powerful. Going forward, if another country invades its neighbour, will the United States retain the moral authority to impose sanctions or demand restraint? Some analysts already warn that parallels between Russia’s actions in Ukraine and America’s conduct in Venezuela risk further eroding global norms. Selective adherence to international law breeds cynicism and accelerates the drift toward a world governed by force rather than rules.

Power—military, economic, or political—should serve human progress and collective well-being, not domination and destruction. For African nations, many of which emerged from colonial rule through bitter struggle, this precedent is especially alarming. Sovereignty is not an abstract legal concept; it is a hard-won shield against external domination. Any erosion of that principle anywhere weakens it everywhere. Africa’s painful history of foreign interference makes this lesson especially urgent. For me, the real issue is not whether Nicolás Maduro is a good or bad leader. That judgment belongs, first and foremost, to the Venezuelan people. The larger issue is whether the international system still operates on law—or has quietly reverted to hierarchy. If America insists it is defending global order, it must ask itself a difficult question: can an order survive when its most powerful guardian feels entitled to violate it? Until that question is answered honestly, the capture of a foreign president will remain not a triumph of justice, but a troubling symbol of a world drifting from law toward force.

If the United States felt so strongly about the allegations of terrorism, drug trafficking against Maduro, were there no other lawful options? Judicial accountability, diplomacy, regional mediation, and multilateral pressure may be slow and imperfect, but they reflect respect for international law and sovereign equality. Military seizure is a blunt instrument. It humiliates institutions, radicalizes populations, and hardens resistance. It may remove a leader, but it rarely resolves the underlying crisis. History teaches that military interventions seldom result in stable democratic outcomes. More often, they breed resentment, resistance, and long-term instability. For the sake of global order and the rule of law, the United States should reconsider this path and recommit to diplomacy, legal cooperation, and respect for the sovereign equality of states. Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly described the invasion of Venezuela as “unlawful and unwise,” warning that such actions “do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable.” Her words reflect a growing recognition, even within the United States, that force without legitimacy undermines both moral authority and global stability.

Should what happened in Venezuela serve as a wake-up call for corrupt African leaders who undermine the people’s right to choose their leaders? The answer is yes. The capture of Maduro should alarm African leaders who manipulate elections, weaken institutions, suppress opposition, undermine citizens’ rights, or cling to power at all costs. Venezuela faced widespread criticism over disputed elections and repression long before this episode, and that context shaped how the world reacted. This does not justify foreign military intervention, but it highlights an uncomfortable truth: prolonged democratic decay isolates nations and invites external pressure—from sanctions to diplomatic censure. Global opinion matters, and legitimacy at home strengthens sovereignty abroad. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and several African leaders have rightly condemned the events in Venezuela, invoking the principles of sovereignty and non-interference enshrined in international and regional law.

Beyond condemnation, however, African leaders must look inward. The continent’s future cannot be built on repression, constitutional manipulation, and personal greed. Leadership must reflect the will of the people, not desperation for power. Two days ago, a social commentator on a radio station argued that Trump’s action—though condemnable—demonstrates how far a leader can go for his country’s interest. According to this view, he did not intervene in Venezuela for personal enrichment, but to strengthen his nation. In stark contrast, many African leaders plunder their own countries. They siphon public resources, impose crushing taxes and harmful policies, and leave their citizens poorer—all for selfish gain. That contradiction is the deeper lesson Africa must confront.True sovereignty is protected not only by international law, but by accountable leadership at home.

By: Calista Ezeaku

Opinion

Kudos Gov Fubara

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

Please permit me to use this medium to appreciate our able governor, Siminalayi Fubara for the inauguration of the 14.2-kilometre Obodhi–Ozochi Road in Ahoada-East Local Government Area. This inauguration marks a significant milestone in the history of our communities and deserves commendation. We, the people of Ozochi, are particularly happy because this project has brought long-awaited relief after years of isolation and hardship.

The expression of our traditional ruler, His Royal Highness, Eze Prince Ike Ehie, JP, during the inauguration captured the joy of our people. He said, “our isolation is over.” That reflects the profound impact of this road on daily life, economic activities, and social integration of the people of Ozochi and other neighbouring communities. The road will no doubt ease transportation, improve access to markets and healthcare, and strengthen links between Ahoada, Omoku, and other parts of Rivers State.

The people of Ahoada, Omoku, and indeed Rivers State as a whole are grateful to our dear governor for this laudable achievement and wish him many more successful years in office. We pray that God endows him with more wisdom and strength to continue to pilot the affairs of the state for the benefit of all. As citizens, we should rally behind the governor and support his development agenda. Our politicians and stakeholders should embrace peace and cooperation, as no meaningful progress can be achieved in an atmosphere of conflict. Sustainable development in the state can only thrive where peace prevails.

Samuel Ebiye