NHRC Scribe Highlights Importance of State Police at NBA Conference

NHRC Scribe Highlights Importance of State Police at NBA Conference

By Gabriel Kekong

Port Harcourt (Core Reporters) -Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN), the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for the urgent establishment of State Police, saying decentralising Nigeria’s policing system is critical to improving security, reducing response time and strengthening the protection of citizens’ rights.

Ojukwu made the call on Tuesday during a panel session at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), themed “Beyond Limits.”

He said the country’s centralised policing structure had become overstretched and increasingly incapable of responding promptly to security threats across Nigeria.

According to him, the gap between the size of Nigeria’s population and the number of police personnel has created a situation where citizens are often left vulnerable while awaiting security intervention.

“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,” he said.

The NHRC chief argued that State Police would bring law enforcement closer to the people and enable officers to respond more effectively to security challenges because of their familiarity with local communities and terrain.

“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.

State Police Must Protect Human Rights

While advocating decentralisation of policing, Ojukwu stressed that the establishment of State Police must be accompanied by strong safeguards to prevent abuse of power.

He warned that without effective oversight and accountability, State Police could be vulnerable to political interference, unlawful arrests, intimidation, torture and other violations of fundamental human 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.

The NHRC Executive Secretary maintained that effective policing should not be measured solely by the number of arrests or criminal cases handled, but also by the extent to which security agencies respect human dignity, due process, the rule of law and fundamental rights.

He therefore urged lawyers and citizens to remain vigilant and hold security agencies accountable for their actions.

“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,” Ojukwu said.

Security and Rights Must Go Together

The NHRC boss stressed that security and human rights should not be treated as competing objectives, arguing that sustainable security can only be achieved through professional, lawful and accountable policing.

He said persistent insecurity and delayed responses to threats had weakened public confidence in security institutions and created a situation where many Nigerians felt that their safety depended more on chance than on an effective policing system.

“Our people live by God’s grace because the system is not working. That must change,” he said.

Ojukwu said Nigeria could no longer afford a policing structure that was overstretched and insufficiently responsive to local security realities.

He urged policymakers, lawyers and other stakeholders to support reforms that would bring policing closer to communities while ensuring that officers remained subject to effective legal and institutional oversight.

“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.

The call formed part of discussions at the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference, where legal practitioners and stakeholders are examining ways of strengthening Nigeria’s justice system, security architecture, governance and protection of fundamental rights.