
Professor Kemi Rotimi, professor of history at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has clarified that Nigeria is not set to establish state police but rather to reintroduce federalist principles of policing that existed before 1966.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Prof Rotimi explained the historical context of policing in Nigeria and announced a forthcoming national interactive forum on police decentralisation.
“Yes, Nigeria is not about to create state police; we are recreating or reintroducing the federalist principles of owning and controlling the police. Before 1966, when the military struck, policing was at levels other than the centralised Nigeria Police Force.”
“There were native authority police forces in the northern and western regions until 1963. Only the Benin division had native authority or local government police, which were abolished immediately when the Mid-West region was created in 1963. The eastern region never had native authority or local government police forces because of the difficulty by the colonial master in identifying authority structures among the predominant Igbo people of the eastern region,” he stated.
At the upcoming conference, Professor Rotimi highlighted the importance of educating Nigerians about the history of policing in the country.
“About the impending national interactive forum on decentralisation of the police, because of the very deep ignorance about the history of policing in Nigeria, I felt that there is a need to enlighten compatriots about policing in Nigeria, and it will be for five days,” he said.
Addressing the issue of police reform funding, Professor Rotimi acknowledged the global challenge of financial adequacy in government departments but emphasised the need for equitable and transparent fund utilisation.
“Whether in the US, in Britain, in Nigeria, or anywhere else, no government department has ever talked about having enough funds…what is enough funding? We are looking at if there will be a more equitable disposition and dispensing of available funds to do what must be done. Yes, the attitude to policing has always been poor, poor because policemen are tinted as people on tap by the politicians or power holders who are on top.”
He added, “Policing if we follow the trend that has been set in motion by the president, things are likely to be different. The states have never complained about not being free to do what they must do, but if they now own police… already, a good number have already been responsible for providing equipment and other support for personnel of the Nigerian Police Force. Funding cannot be what will detain people or what will not make them go to the police, no. Let the funding be fair, let the utilisation of the funds be open to scrutiny, and let the training be sound.”
When asked about police orientation and the involvement of stakeholders in his conference, Professor Rotimi stressed the importance of participation from current personnel of the Nigerian Police Force and other security organisations.
“Is it possible to hold an interactive forum on policing without the current personnel of the Nigerian Police Force being present? The answer is no… There is no way I will hold an interactive forum on the decentralisation of policing without the personnel of every security organisation right now not being present. They will be there,” he said.
He elaborated on the forum’s structure, noting that concept papers would be developed and shared with participants ahead of the event.
“There will be concept papers which I will develop and pre-circulate before the conference to a minimum of about 100 persons who will have the time and then prepare their responses. The venue I have in mind has a 700-capacity space; West African College of Physicians Hotels in Abuja,” he disclosed.
The forum, scheduled for April, seeks to provide an opportunity for robust discussions on decentralisation and the future of policing in Nigeria.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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