A retired senior police officer, DSP Adamu M. Muhammad (Rtd), has warned that establishing state police in Nigeria without first addressing the problems facing the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) could worsen insecurity and threaten national unity.
Muhammad spoke to DAILY POST following the Senate’s passage of a bill seeking to establish state police across the country.
In the exclusive interview, he said although growing insecurity has renewed calls for state police, the proposal does not address the real issues affecting policing in Nigeria.
According to him, “Creating State Police at this moment poses serious risks to national stability, internal security and the safety of law abiding citizens.”
The retired officer argued that successive governments had weakened the Nigeria Police Force through years of neglect, poor funding and the transfer of key policing responsibilities to other agencies.
He said critical institutions such as the DSS, FRSC and EFCC were created to perform duties that were originally handled by police departments, while police assets, including barracks, land and operational vehicles, had allegedly been sold without improving the Force.
Muhammad also lamented the poor welfare of police officers, saying many personnel buy their own uniforms and equipment, while divisional commands receive little operational funding.
He questioned the logic behind creating separate state police organisations when the federal government had failed to adequately fund the existing national police force.
“If the Federal Government has abandoned its statutory responsibility to a single constitutionally created police force, why should anyone believe that creating multiple state controlled forces
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