Femi Falana has cautioned that the creation of state police alone will not automatically resolve Nigeria’s security challenges.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said several states already operate security outfits under different structures, including the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Borno State, the Neighbourhood Safety Corps in Lagos, Amotekun in the South-West and Hisbah in parts of Northern Nigeria.
Falana argued that the focus should be on strengthening existing state security agencies rather than simply creating state police. He said many of the outfits face challenges such as inadequate funding, poor equipment and limited operational capacity, reducing their effectiveness against heavily armed criminals.
“We’re just assuming that once you have state police, everybody will be secured in the country. Whereas today we have state security agencies. We’re just talking about nomenclature. In Borno State you have Civilian JTF, in Lagos, you have neighbourhood watch, in other parts of the West, you have Amotekun,” he said.
Falana added that any state police framework should clearly define responsibilities, ensure adequate funding and equipment, and include safeguards to protect citizens’ rights and prevent abuse of power.
