By Hosea Parah
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has faulted the National Assembly’s speedy passage of the State Police Bill, arguing that it is a hasty reform pushed without strengthening the existing Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Daily NewsCraft reports that the Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, following its earlier approval by the House of Representatives, paving the way for a decentralised policing system aimed at addressing the shortcomings of the current centralised structure.
According to a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, by the Acting National Chairman of CUPP, Chief Peter Ameh, the coalition warned that the legislation carries significant political risks if not properly implemented.
”This reform moves Nigeria toward a more decentralized policing system in response to the persistent failures of the centralised model.
”Nigeria continues to grapple with severe insecurity and banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, farmer-herder clashes, communal violence, and urban crime. The existing Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been critically overstretched and under-resourced.
”Despite repeated promises by the Tinubu administration to massively recruit and adequately fund the police, including announcements of recruiting tens of thousands of officers and enhancing the Police Trust Fund. these commitments have not been fulfilled to the required scale or with the urgency needed.
”This shortfall has left the federal police ill-equipped to tackle rising threats, underscoring the limitations of relying solely on a centralised force controlled from Abuja.
”The introduction of State Police offers an opportunity to bridge these gaps by Improving local intelligence and rapid response: State-based forces, recruited locally and familiar with terrain, languages, and specific threats, can deliver more effective community-oriented policing.
”While this could be a good reform, but the hasty nature leaves more to be desired, it is not a panacea. We caution that poorly implemented State Police could be vulnerable to abuse, including political weaponisation, election interference, or suppression of opposition.
”There are also legitimate worries regarding funding disparities across states, uneven professional standards, and potential coordination challenges between federal and state commands,” Ameh said.
The coalition urge the National Assembly to establish minimum national standards, provide training support, and create sustainable funding mechanisms to assist less-resourced states. while finally delivering on long-standing promises to adequately recruit, equip, and fund the national police.
It also urged all stakeholders — civil society organisations, traditional institutions, security experts, and the general public — to actively monitor implementation and demand professionalism, accountability, and respect for human rights.
While noting that tackling insecurity requires more than structural changes, CUPP called on the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to complement the reform with genuine efforts to address root causes — poverty, unemployment, porous borders, weak justice delivery, and corruption and fulfil its obligations to the existing federal police force.
”This reform carries both promise and risk. Its ultimate success will depend on transparent, accountable, and professionally executed implementation that prioritizes the safety and well-being of all Nigerians.
”We remain committed to constructive engagement with all levels of government to ensure State Police becomes a genuine asset in our collective fight against insecurity,” Ameh added.
