A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Aare Tunji Alapinni, has thrown his weight behind the establishment of state police in Nigeria, noting that fears of abuse should not prevent the country from testing a reform he believes could strengthen security and improve policing at the grassroots.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Alapinni maintained that calls for state police should be viewed as an opportunity for innovation rather than a source of fear, noting that every meaningful reform comes with uncertainties that can only be addressed through practical implementation.
According to the former police chief, the nation’s centralized policing system has not failed, but there is a need to explore alternatives that could strengthen security architecture and improve service delivery at the grassroots level: I’m not saying it has failed. It has not failed. But people are clamoring to see that things could be better. There’s always room for improvement in anything. So if there’s room for improvement, there’s room for state police. That’s the way I look at it.” he said.
He argued that Nigeria’s worsening security situation demands fresh approaches, stressing that maintaining the status quo may no longer be sufficient in tackling crimes such as terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and communal conflicts: “The security situation, in the country calls for doing same thing in a different manner and I think the introduction and the clamor for state police is a welcome development, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If we explore it and see how it works, no matter what, we stand to benefit from it. Forget about the pros and the cons. We have lived over the years with entry policing,” he said.
While acknowledging concerns surrounding funding, training and accountability within the police system, Alapinni argued that these challenges should not be used as reasons to reject the idea of state police. He said: The issue of funding and, uh, lack of training or retraining has been part of the malaise that has been affecting the constitutional responsibility of policing in the country. Whether funding or no funding, we have to look at it from the angle of what can we do to make police solid? And I think the present inspector general of police is trying to do his best by giving directives and that’s okay.”
Alapinni also identified community policing as one of the strongest arguments in favour of state police, explaining that local recruitment and deployment would make it easier for officers to understand the terrain, identify strangers and gather intelligence. He said: 20 years ago, if a stranger comes into a town, people walking around would notice that this man is a stranger and the community will watch him.That’s part of the things we have lost. Those are the things we want to gain with community policing”.
Using his experience as a former Commissioner of Police in Edo State, he referenced the traditional “Edionwere” structure, where community leaders maintain awareness of residents and newcomers within their localities, “When I was in Edo state as commissioner of police in Edo state, they have a policy, which I think is present in most areas of the country. They have what we call the Edo-Weres. Edo-Weres are supposed to be leaders in the community, in a street. There’s no street that does not have a Edo-Were, like somebody like leader in that street. If a new person comes on that street, the person must be known by the Edo-Were” he stated emphasizing on the need of community policing.
According to him, security challenges can be better addressed when every ward takes responsibility for monitoring activities within its jurisdiction and identifying potential threats before they escalate.” We have 36 states and FCT. Each state has local government. Each local government has wards. So if you know the boundaries of your ward, and you know everybody staying within that ward and everybody is concentrating on each of their wards….that okay, I want to know the people in my ward. I want to know everybody in my ward. I want to know what is the problem in my ward. By the time everybody puts their mind on this small issue, I’m telling you, this country will be the best for all of us to stay in” he assured.
On concerns that governors could abuse state police to target political opponents, Alapinni acknowledged that such fears are legitimate but insisted they should not prevent the country from exploring a potentially beneficial reform.
He noted that allegations of political interference already exist under the current centralized policing system, adding that safeguards can be developed and strengthened as implementation progresses. “Like I said earlier on, nothing ventured, nothing gained, Let us start first. If we see abuse, let us call that abuse the order”, he stated.
Alapinni further explained that from his understanding of the proposed framework, governors would not have absolute powers over the appointment of state police commissioners, as such appointments would pass through a state police commission and other screening mechanisms. He said: “I don’t think the governor has been given the power alone to appoint the police. There’s going to be like a committee, like a commission, the state police commission from what I’m reading, who will sit down and decide. People will screen that individual like it’s a panel. It’s like you’re coming for a job, and you have people there” he explained adding that the governor might have a little influence in the decision making too, “Yeah, the governor might have a say to say, this is the person that I prefer. If other members of the committee agree on that. It’s up to them,” he said.
Addressing questions on the relationship between federal and state police structures, Alapinni expressed confidence that responsibilities could be clearly delineated, with federal police handling national assets and federal matters while state police focus on local security concerns: “From what I have seen from the bill that is going to be passed, the federal remains federal, and anything that has a federal thing will be handled by the federal police. Anything by the state police will be handled within the states, unless it is beyond the states,” he said.
The retired police chief also called for stronger prosecution of criminal offenders, arguing that the certainty and speed of punishment remain crucial deterrents against crime.
He praised measures reportedly introduced by some state governments to tackle insecurity and urged authorities across the country to ensure that criminals face swift consequences for their actions, “I will want all state governors to take the cue from the governor of Edo state who took the bull by the horn and said, look, I’m fed up with all this kidnapping, banditry, or whatever it is. I’m going to set up a special court that must try from arrest to end of trial, two weeks max. And that by the time they finish their judgment, I’m going to recommend capital punishment for any of those heinous crimes to be hung publicly for people to see.” Alapinni said.
The retired police boss concluded by stressing that no security framework can succeed without active participation from citizens, urging Nigerians to revive communal responsibility and become more conscious of activities within their neighbourhoods.
