Adapted from RealBroadcasting Network

The Labour Party presidential candidate, Dr. Chibuzo Okereke, has thrown his strong support behind the establishment of state police in Nigeria, emphasizing that any such framework must be completely decentralized to ensure effective and responsive service delivery.

Speaking during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Dr. Okereke asserted that while appropriate risk calculations and safeguards are necessary, legislation enabling state police should not be crippled by preemptive fears of political abuse by state governors.

“I support state police, but we must not express fear. Yes, safeguards and better risk calculation are important, laws must not be made with fears and power and control as if we have already seen that the abuse is going to be happening,” Okereke stated.

Reforming a Collapsing Centralized Policing Architecture

Dr. Okereke pointed out that the current federalized policing model is buckling under the weight of centralized control, noting that in many rural communities across the country, ordinary citizens and local stakeholders are forced to independently fund and sustain local police stations due to administrative bottlenecks.

Key points from his security reform blueprint include:

• Decentralized Operations: Dr. Chibuzo Okereke fully autonomous state police structures to secure lives and property at the grassroots level.

• Technology-Driven Security: Equipping police units with modern technological tools to enhance operational efficiency and accountability.

• Overcoming Centralized Bottlenecks: Eliminating delays caused by federal command directives and administrative bottlenecks that hinder rapid security responses.