By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja
Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd), on Thursday declared that the debate over state police should now move beyond whether Nigeria needs it to how it can be made to work, saying the country’s priority is building a professional and trusted policing system that avoids the failings of the federal model.
His message was simple: the question is no longer whether state police should exist, but whether Nigeria can get the structure right.
For Irabor, the real test lies in building a force that responds quickly to security threats without sacrificing professionalism, accountability or public confidence.
Speaking at the ARISE News Town Hall on State Police in Abuja, Irabor responded to concerns earlier raised by former House of Representatives member Nnenna Ukeje, who warned that state police could become a modern version of the defunct Native Authority Police or evolve into private armies in official uniforms.
