Limitations of State Police in Nigeria

Abstract

Blood has been literally, flowing in the streets of Abuja, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Suleja and Maiduguri. Lives have been lost and property worth millions, destroyed. Apparently, there is no end in sight for this ugly development. No Nigerian is insulated from bomb explosion. Churches, mosques and corporate offices are not spared. In Lagos former Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Alani Akinrinade, urged the government to find a solution, warning that Nigeria was about being assailed by urban guerilla. Across the country, the fear of Boko Haram sect has become the beginning of wisdom. The violence unleashed by Boko Haram has been perfectly complemented by armed robbery and ritual killings across the six geo political zones. Ethnic clashes and kidnapping are also rife. In Jos, capital of Plateau State, mass burial of victims of ethnic conflict led to more blood letting on the spot. Now members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) are rejecting postings to troubled spots with justification. On daily basis, there are cries of dependency and government appears to be helpless. Can the federal government restore security? What is responsible for all the sporadic bombings? Why has the North central and North East remained a troubled spot? These are puzzles that seem to have no answers. Just recently, governors were at a crossroads. Although, it is the north that is primarily under siege, southern governors could not turn their eyes away from the plight of their kinsmen who reside in these troubled spots. The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGE) proposed some measures. Taking a global look at the socio economic and political realities that may underlie insecurity, it suggested a sort of ‘Marshal Plan’ to tackle the trend. Some governors, lawmakers and opinion leaders also reiterated their clamour for state police. They highlighted the numerous assistance given to state police commands by governors, including donation of vehicles, uniforms, housing, guns, and even, bullets. He said it is illogical that the state governors, who are chief security officers, have no control over the police. Many reasons have been adduced for the state of insecurity ravaging the country. Some of them paled into conjunctures. But there is no evidence that government has got any lead as well. There is a monotony of assurances of normalcy from the Police Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammad Abubakar and Security Chiefs. To their consternation, the suicide bombers seem to have dwarfed security agents. This paper seeks to explore the limitations of state police as a panacea for insecurity challenges facing centralizing policing in Nigeria.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n15p130