Grace Ike Insists State Police Would Improve Community Security, Strengthen Federalism

 Grace Ike Insists State Police Would Improve Community Security, Strengthen Federalism

By Goodness Ekpang

Abuja (Core Reporters) – Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, has insisted that the establishment of state police would improve community security, strengthen Nigeria’s federal structure and promote greater local accountability.

Ike stated this on Tuesday while delivering a speech at the 2nd Annual Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps.

The lecture, themed “The Imperative for State Police: Securing Communities, Strengthening Federalism,” examined the need for a decentralised policing system to address Nigeria’s diverse security challenges.

Ike said the current centralised policing structure had left several states and communities waiting too long for security responses, arguing that local police formations would be better positioned to understand and respond to the peculiar security needs of their communities.

According to her, state police would enable faster responses to security threats, help prevent conflicts from escalating and foster stronger relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.

“Policing from a single national centre has left many states and communities waiting for responses that arrive most times too late,” she said.

The NUJ FCT chairman noted that Nigeria’s diverse security realities required policing strategies tailored to local circumstances, stressing that the security needs of riverine communities in the Niger Delta differed significantly from those of metropolitan neighbourhoods in Lagos or farming communities in the Middle Belt.

She also argued that state police would reduce the operational burden on the Nigeria Police Force and allow for more specialised and regionally responsive policing.

Ike, however, cautioned that state police must not be introduced without adequate safeguards, constitutional clarity and effective oversight.

She called for constitutional amendments and clear legislation defining the jurisdiction, powers and limits of state police, as well as their relationship with federal police formations.

She further advocated national standards for recruitment, training and discipline, alongside independent oversight bodies and civilian review mechanisms with the authority to investigate abuses and enforce accountability.

The NUJ FCT chairman urged state governments to provide sustainable funding for policing while putting in place strong anti-corruption measures in procurement, recruitment and payroll management.

She stressed the importance of shared intelligence systems, joint task forces and mutual-aid arrangements, noting that criminal activities frequently cross state boundaries.

“State police must be rooted in respect for human rights and community-policing principles so that they protect citizens rather than intimidate them,” she said.

Ike also urged the media and civil society organisations to interrogate proposals on state police, hold lawmakers and government officials accountable, and amplify the concerns and experiences of citizens.

She said the debate on state police should be inclusive, evidence-based and transparent rather than reduced to a temporary political conversation.

“Our goal is not merely a change of structure; it is a change that delivers safety, trust and justice for Nigerians,” she added.

Ike maintained that state police, if implemented with constitutional rigour, effective oversight, adequate resources and respect for human rights, could become a significant instrument for securing communities, strengthening federalism and deepening Nigeria’s democratic governance.