Opinion

Is Nigeria Ripe For State Police?

Published

13 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

Restoring Order, Delivering Good Governance

Published

4 days ago

July 11, 2025

The Tide

Quote:”But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged”.

The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.

The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.

For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.

President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.

The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.

Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.

The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.

But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.

It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.

Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.

The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.

Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.

Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.

Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.

Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.

Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.

“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.

The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.

As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.

The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.

By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator

Opinion

Checking Herdsmen Rampage

Published

4 days ago

July 11, 2025

The Tide

Quote:”
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”

According to reports, suspected Fulani herdsmen on June 25, 2025 invaded Ueken, the ancestral home of the Tai Kingdom, in the Ogoni Ethnic Nationality of Rivers State and murdered one Goodluck Dimkpa, a father of one. The attack has reportedly caused panic and led to residents fleeing the community. It also generated coordinated protests from aggrieved Ogoni youths.
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”

He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.

On June 13-14, 2025, about 200 adults and children were reported to have been gruesomely murdered and burnt in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, by suspected herdsmen who stormed the community, attacked the innocent people, and wreaked havoc described as one the deadliest attacks in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, in recent times.Two days before the Yelewata senseless massacre, precisely on June 11, 2025, about 25 people were killed in Makurdi still by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

Plateau State, Southern Kaduna and other Middle Belt States have their own tales of woe from the unprovoked attacks by the Fulani herdsmen leading to loss of lives and properties.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.

In my considered view the Fulani herdsmen whom life means nothing to, have gone too far. The right to life and property are fundamental but the herdsmen’s invasions violate such inalienable rights of the people.Already Nigeria seems to exist on a precipice with the majority of her about 200 million people groaning in the quagmire of unpopular economic policies, reprehensible democratic practices translating to a gale of decampment to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which is a tell-tale sign of an imminent one party State, looting of public funds with impunity and barefaced corruption in all sectors of the nation.

Nigerians, therefore, cannot afford to live with the debilitating consequences that the activities of the Fulani herdsmen portend in the face of the trending precarious socio-political and economic challenges. In fact, in all the States like Benue, Borno, Plateau, where incessant herdsmen attacks are frequent, residents live in petrified fear because of the disregard and disrespect for the sanctity of human lives. This fear leads to gross lack of development.

The governors of those States though Chief security officers, seem to be incapacitated, to carry out the primary responsibility of protection of lives and property of their citizens as enshrined in the grand norm. The mayhem caused by herdsmen in many states of Nigeria has left indelible pains in some families and communities, sufficient enough to make the government to control the activities of the herdsmen.

Some of these men who claim to ply their occupation are seen carrying lethal weapons. Which law in Nigeria gives people right to illegally possess weapons? How could the herders publicly carry lethal weapons without security operatives’ arresting and questioning them? The Fulani herdsmen, it’s not out of place to say, are above the law. Because of their possession of weapons, the herdsmen are licensed to destroy lives, property and crops-the source of livelihood of others, thereby increasing food insecurity, poverty, hunger, hostility and lack of development.

Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land? Such nonsense must be made to stop, no matter whose ox is gored. Security operatives should be proactive to check attempts of Fulani herdsmen to breach the peace. They should arrest and prosecute culprits because Fulani herdsmen who perpetrate the heinous acts have always been allowed to go non reprimanded.

There is need to enhance vigilance and community coordination while residents should be alert, take necessary precautions and work with traditional rulers, chiefs, youth leaders and local vigilante to stem the ugly trend.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.

Igbiki Benibo

Opinion

Is Nigeria Democratic Nation?

Published

4 days ago

July 11, 2025

The Tide

As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.

Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.

In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.

This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.

Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.

All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.

Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.

Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.