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ARTICLE AD BOX
The 36 governors of Nigeria have requested greater constitutional authority over security operations within their states.
They made this request following a recent meeting that focused on the creation of state police forces.
Their demand is outlined in a bulletin issued after the meeting.
The meeting, which took place last week, brought together state attorneys‑general, legal experts, and senior security officials to align proposals for a constitutional and institutional framework that would decentralize policing across the country.
One of the proposals discussed was to give the governors more constitutional recognition for coordinating local security operations.
A key outcome of the meeting was the development of a policing structure based on cooperative federalism, in which federal and state police institutions would operate within clearly defined constitutional and statutory jurisdictions.
Under this arrangement, the Federal Police Service would retain exclusive responsibility for offenses deemed national in scope.
Another proposal was that state police services would be empowered to prevent, investigate, and support the prosecution of offenses within their constitutionally assigned jurisdiction, particularly those created under state laws.
The framework also considers mechanisms for transferring or restructuring certain existing policing assets, commands, and facilities to support state police.
Another recommendation was to appoint a rotating representative of state attorneys‑general to the National Police Council, thereby strengthening state participation in national policing oversight and policy formulation.
Stakeholders, while discussing funding, emphasized the need for clear constitutional provisions that guarantee sustainable financial support for state policing structures.
“Without predictable financial support, state police services could face operational difficulties that would undermine their effectiveness,” the stakeholders said at the meeting.
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