By Our Reporter.
Retired Commissioner of Police Muhammad Wakili, popularly known as ‘Singham’, has warned that establishing state police will return Nigeria to the security problems of the 1960s.
Speaking in an interview with _Daily Trust_, the former police chief said Nigeria had operated a similar system before it was abolished in the 1972 constitutional amendment. “We have tested that system and we know the consequences,” Wakili said.
He argued that giving governors control of their own police would repeat history, noting that many of them “already act as if states were their personal properties.”
‘NPF is Underfunded, Not Weak’* Wakili described the Nigeria Police Force as “among the best in the world,” but said it is weakened by poor funding, inadequate manpower, dilapidated barracks, and a shortage of operational vehicles.
“Some states don’t even have up to 3,000 policemen. If we don’t have enough manpower, how can you expect smooth operations?” he asked. Instead of creating state police, he urged the government to recruit more officers, improve training and equipment, and punish erring personnel.
“Whoever breaks the law should be punished. But when those who are supposed to enforce the law are protected, how can they stop the common man from misconduct?”*‘Governors Will Abuse It’* The retired CP was blunt on the risk of political interference.
“It is impossible to stop governors from abusing state police. It is better to stop the move entirely than to deceive ourselves.” He cited how some governors already use political thugs. “If they can do that with thugs, how can you say they will not use state police for the same purpose?” He also doubted state police could handle insurgency or banditry.
“If the Nigeria Police Force that has existed for decades cannot finish this war, I wonder how state police can win it. I think the only role they can play is handling cases of prostitution, thuggery and drug abuse.”*Calls for Justice and Patriotism* Wakili said Nigeria’s insecurity stems from “lack of fairness and equity in governance.”
He called for strengthening the NPF, ending impunity through selective justice, and fostering patriotism among leaders. He further warned that the push for state police and geopolitical zones has “weakened the country and further divided Nigerians.”
