This article by Dr Olukayode Ajulo, SAN discusses the need for State Police, saying that it is the completion of Nigeria’s Federal project, citing as examples countries such as America, Canada and India who maintain multi-layered policing structures, that reflect their Federal character
Security, Federalism and the Imperative of Constitutional Evolution
History teaches a simple but profound lesson: when a State struggles to guarantee the safety of its citizens, every other promise of government becomes uncertain. Economic prosperity retreats before insecurity. Education suffers, when children fear going to school. Agriculture declines, when farmers abandon their lands. Investment evaporates, where criminality flourishes. Ultimately, the legitimacy of government itself, is tested by its capacity to secure lives and property.
It is therefore, no coincidence that the framers of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), placed security at the heart of governance. Section 14(2)(b) provides in clear and unequivocal terms:
“The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.
