By George Ozalla
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chief Anthony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, has called for the urgent establishment of State Police in Nigeria, saying decentralising the country’s policing system would improve security, reduce response time and strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights.
Ojukwu made the call in Port Harcourt on Tuesday while speaking during a panel session at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), themed “Beyond Limits.”
He identified delayed response to security threats as one of the major shortcomings of Nigeria’s centralised policing structure, arguing that the country could no longer afford a system in which citizens remain vulnerable while waiting for security agencies to respond to emergencies.
“If you don’t have State Police, you can never have adequate security. We have over 200 million people in Nigeria with far less number of policemen to police them. The response time is so long that we only live by God’s grace,” Ojukwu said.
The NHRC Executive Secretary said State Police would bring policing closer to the people and allow officers operating at the state and local levels to respond more effectively to security challenges because of their better understanding of local communities, terrain and emerging threats.
“With State Police, the governors will have the wherewithal to respond quickly. The police will be more effective because they know the terrain; they know the people,” he stated.
However, Ojukwu stressed that the establishment of State Police must be accompanied by strong human rights protections, accountability mechanisms and independent oversight to prevent the system from becoming an avenue for abuse of power.
He warned that without adequate safeguards, decentralised policing could expose citizens to political repression, arbitrary arrests, torture, intimidation and other violations of fundamental rights.
“We must insist that when the National Policing Bill comes, it must be well drafted. There must be a board that runs it. There must be oversight. Otherwise, it will become another problem,” he cautioned.
He said the effectiveness of a police institution should not be judged solely by its capacity to arrest suspects or respond to security threats, but also by its commitment to human dignity, due process, the rule of law and fundamental rights.
Ojukwu consequently charged lawyers and other citizens to remain vigilant and insist on accountability in the conduct of security agencies, particularly in situations involving arrest, detention and investigation.
“Lawyers should be the people to insist on the right thing to do. If the police is going to arrest anybody, insist on the right procedure. Don’t let them abuse power. We have to watch them,” he said.
According to him, security and human rights should not be treated as competing priorities, stressing that lasting security could only be achieved through a policing system anchored on legality, professionalism, accountability and respect for citizens’ rights.
He noted that the persistence of insecurity and slow responses to threats had weakened public confidence in security institutions, leaving many Nigerians with the perception that their safety depended largely on chance rather than on a responsive and effective policing system.
“Our people live by God’s grace because the system is not working. That must change,” Ojukwu said.
The NHRC Executive Secretary said Nigeria needed to move away from an overstretched policing structure that was unable to adequately respond to the security realities of different communities.
He maintained that the country could not continue with a situation in which a limited number of police personnel were expected to secure millions of citizens, insisting that any new policing arrangement must combine effectiveness with accountability and respect for human rights.
“We cannot continue with a system where only a few police officers are expected to secure millions. It is time to go beyond limits and give Nigerians the security they deserve; securely, effectively and accountably,” he said.
