TYF warns against constitutional bypass in state police push

..Demands shift of policing to concurrent list Think Yoruba First (TYF) Political Action Committee has called for an immediate constitutional amendment to enable the establishment of state police, insisting that Nigeria’s current security challenges require a legally grounded restructuring of the policing system. In a statement issued Sunday, the group said the decentralisation of policing can only be achieved by transferring the subject from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List through an amendment to the Constitution. TYF noted that such a process must comply with Section 9 of the Constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly and ratification by at least two-thirds of State Houses of Assembly. The group argued that the current centralised policing structure is no longer sustainable in a country as large and diverse as Nigeria, stressing that state policing must be anchored on clear legal and institutional frameworks. It urged the National Assembly to, upon constitutional amendment, enact a federal framework law that would define jurisdictional boundaries, inter-agency coordination and national standards for policing across the country. According to the group, state governments would also be required to pass enabling laws addressing command structures, recruitment processes, funding mechanisms and civilian oversight systems. TYF expressed confidence that, with sufficient political will, the constitutional amendment process and enabling legislation could be expedited to address the country’s worsening security situation. It added that full implementation of state policing could be achieved within 12 to 24 months by leveraging existing regional security outfits, community-based intelligence systems and state administrative structures. The group warned that failure to pursue the constitutional pathway would amount to a failure of governance, noting that any attempt to introduce state policing outside the legal framework could result in weak and ineffective institutions. It also cautioned against adopting a hybrid model that leaves state policing under federal control, describing such an approach as a continuation of centralisation rather than true decentralisation. TYF maintained that effective policing systems in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom are built on clear constitutional and legal foundations, urging Nigeria to follow a similar path. The group reiterated that meaningful security reform must be driven by lawmakers, adding that any sustainable solution to Nigeria’s security crisis must be rooted in constitutional processes and true federalism. “Nigeria stands at a critical point in its national development. The demand for state police is legitimate and long overdue. However, a rushed and legally unsound approach will worsen, rather than resolve, the country’s security challenges. “Think Yoruba First maintains a clear position: State policing must be grounded in law, built on proper institutional structures, and implemented through constitutional processes. “The continued centralization of policing in a country as large and diverse as Nigeria is no longer sustainable. If the current system cannot guarantee security, it must be restructured without delay. True federalism must apply to all sectors, including security. Anything less is not reform. It is a costly and avoidable mistake.”