State Police Will Fail If Built On Thugs, Party Loyalists, Vigilantes – Ex-AIG

The Nigerian government is considering setting up state police to boost security, but a former high-ranking official has expressed fears about how this will be done.

According to retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, the success of state police will depend largely on a transparent recruitment process that guarantees professionalism and political neutrality. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Inalegwu said the greatest danger lies in the composition of the proposed force.

He warned that recruiting people with partisan or vigilante backgrounds would undermine the credibility of state police and turn it into an instrument of political interests rather than public service. Drawing from history, Inalegwu recalled that similar concerns were raised in 1958 over the composition of the Native Authority Police.

Majority of the police in the native authority were formed from supporters of political parties and thugs, and this was a fear that was expressed in 1958 where the minorities expressed fear. He stressed the need for transparent recruitment processes, professional standards and strong oversight mechanisms to ensure that any state police structure operates strictly within the law.

Inalegwu also defended the Nigerian Police Force, saying its challenges stem from inadequate funding, manpower shortages and poor logistics rather than incompetence. He said the force remains structurally capable of carrying out its constitutional responsibilities but has been hampered by years of underfunding and inadequate operational support.

The retired police chief said shortages in personnel, equipment and logistics have left officers overstretched and under-equipped, making it difficult to meet the country’s growing security demands. He maintained that with adequate investment in manpower, infrastructure and welfare, the police would perform far more effectively and restore public confidence.

Inalegwu further argued that the proposal for state police should be approached with caution because of the weakness of public institutions. He warned that unless institutions are strengthened, state-controlled police forces could become vulnerable to political interference and be used as tools of intimidation rather than impartial law enforcement.

The police is a critical institution, an institution that has primacy on internal security, on public management, on crime prevention. This is a critical institution worldwide and by the time we begin to have an effective police force that is catered for, the development of Nigeria will begin to rise. Nigeria will only develop with an effective police force.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the proposal as “a child of necessity rather than political expediency” and “a product of national consensus, not cynicism.” In a statement, Bamidele said the creation of state police had become a matter of urgent public importance in view of the country’s security challenges.

He noted that the process of incorporating state police into Nigeria’s governance structure did not begin recently but has evolved over time. Despite opposing views, the Senate leader maintained that Nigerians largely support the bill, expressing confidence that it would significantly reduce insecurity at the subnational level.

“We are praying that they will not use members of vigilante, members of thugs, supporters of political parties or individuals to form the new class of this police force,” Inalegwu stated.