A retired assistant inspector-general of police (AIG), Adisa Bolanta, has opposed the clamour for the establishment of state police.
Bolanta, who spoke with LEADERSHIP in Ilorin, Kwara State, said establishing state police will be a recipe for disaster.
He alleged that those calling for the decentralisation of the nation’s policing were driven by personal interests.
The former AIG argued that the failure of policing in the country was not a structural problem but one of poor funding, inadequate equipment and undue political interference.
Bolanta, who served as commissioner of Police in Oyo, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Imo States, as well as commandant of the Police Academy in Kano, maintained that the solution lies in adequate funding and reforming the existing federal police structure while embracing community policing – not decentralising the force.
“To me, state police is a recipe for disaster. You know why I say that? It is not the centralised nature that is the challenge of the NPF. Rather, it is the deliberate underfunding, undue political interference in the running of the police, and the lack of adequate motivation that are responsible for the poor performance of the NPF,” he said.
Bolanta, who recalled his experience managing security in volatile states, questioned the motive of those agitating for state police.
He stated: “Comparing Nigeria with countries like the USA or the UK is out of place. Those countries have a politically sophisticated population and an established, respected legal system that nobody, no matter their status, can disobey without consequences.”
He dismissed the notion that state governments are better positioned to fund the police, pointing out that some states can hardly survive without federal subvention and often struggle to pay workers’ salaries.
Bolanta stated esuch states should not be saddled with the burden of funding a complex security outfit like the police.
He also noted that almost 70 percent of policemen in most states are indigenes, meaning local representation is not the core issue in Nigeria’s policing.
Instead of creating a new layer of police, the retired AIG called for a return to the basics of proper funding and enhanced logistics for the Nigeria Police Force.
“My first posting was in 1982 to Ekpoma Police Station in the then Bendel State. The station had two Land Rovers and a lorry. While the Land Rovers were for patrol, the lorry was used to transport men to their areas of deployment. Monthly provisions for fuel, diesel, and stationery were guaranteed, enabling efficiency,” he recalled.
“The way you make your bed is how you lie on it. So, to whom less is given, less should be expected. That is the situation with security in Nigeria,” Bolanta added.
Bolanta clarified that the community policing model being promoted is often misunderstood, adding that: “Community policing is just a concept. It means getting the community involved in policing—not that you are bringing them to actually wear uniforms. But they know what you are doing when you provide security for them, and they give you input.”
On general insecurity in the country, Bolanta reiterated that security is everyone’s business and called for greater cooperation from the public, urging citizens to trust the police with timely information.
He also advised youths to dress decently to avoid harassment from security agents.
