Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has said the proposed state police system should enjoy financial independence through a first-line charge in the Constitution to prevent interference by governors, political actors, business interests, criminal groups and other vested interests.
Bamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, made the remarks in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs while addressing concerns raised by stakeholders over the proposed establishment of state police.
He acknowledged that many of the concerns surrounding the proposal were legitimate, particularly given the experience of the First Republic, when regional police forces were accused of political misuse under the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions.
According to him, the National Assembly is developing safeguards to ensure that state police operate independently, remain accountable and are insulated from political and financial manipulation.
Bamidele said lawmakers were proposing that the funding of state police be recognised as a first-line charge in the Constitution, similar to the funding arrangement for the judiciary.
He explained that such a framework would guarantee direct access to funds for state police authorities without requiring approval from state governors for routine operations and expenditures.
“The Commissioner of Police and the State Police Service Commission must have a guaranteed source of funds provided for in the Constitution in a way that the police chief will not be subject to the whims and caprices of a state governor,” he said.
He added that the constitutional amendment would also require states to dedicate a specific percentage of their budgets to funding state police, ensuring that governors cannot withhold funding because of political disagreements.
Bamidele warned that the risks facing state police extend beyond political interference, noting that inadequate funding could expose the service to influence from wealthy individuals, criminal organisations and powerful interest groups.
“Business class can also abuse it. Some other organisations, even criminals or cabals, can abuse state police service because it is a question of ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune,’” he said.
The Senate Leader stressed that creating a state police system without guaranteed funding would undermine its ability to perform its constitutional responsibilities effectively.
He also explained that the ongoing constitutional review seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing state governments to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
Bamidele assured Nigerians that the National Assembly would address stakeholders’ concerns and establish a state police system that is professionally managed, financially independent and accountable to the people.
