Retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, has warned that the proposed state police system in Nigeria will fail if it is dominated by politicians or formed from vigilante groups, political thugs and party loyalists.
Speaking on Monday, Inalegwu said the success of state police would depend largely on a transparent recruitment process that guarantees professionalism and political neutrality.
“We are praying that they will not use members of vigilante, members of thugs, supporters of political parties or individuals to form the new class of this police force,” Inalegwu stated.
While acknowledging that the establishment of State police will add more manpower to policing in the country, the former Kogi State Commissioner of Police explained that the greatest danger lies in the composition of the proposed force.
According to him, recruiting people with partisan or vigilante backgrounds would undermine the credibility of state police and turn it into an instrument of political interests rather than public service.
Drawing from history, Inalegwu recalled that similar concerns were raised in 1958 over the composition of the Native Authority Police.
“Majority of the police in the native authority were formed from supporters of political parties and were formed from thugs and that was a fear that was expressed in 1958 where the minorities expressed fear,” he said.
He stressed the need for transparent recruitment processes, professional standards and strong oversight mechanisms to ensure that any state police structure operates strictly within the law.