The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, Chibuzo Okereke, has declared support for the establishment of state police, insisting that the proposed security structure must be fully decentralised to effectively address the country's growing security challenges.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Okereke said the creation of state police would strengthen the protection of lives and property across the country, stressing that concerns over possible abuse by state governors should not derail the initiative.
He argued that while adequate safeguards were necessary, legislation on state police should not be driven by fear but by the need to build an efficient, accountable and democratic policing system.
"I support state police, but we must not express fear. Yes, safeguards and better risk calculation are important; laws must not be made with fear and power and control as if we have already seen that the abuse is going to be happening.
"Let us have state police because of the advantages it will give us in ensuring the security of lives and property. We should be able to review their functionality and empower them to do their jobs," he said.
The LP presidential candidate further advocated a policing structure that would leverage modern technology and operational autonomy to improve intelligence gathering, crime prevention and service delivery.
According to him, decentralising policing will make law enforcement more responsive to local security needs while enhancing accountability and professionalism.
Okereke lamented what he described as the gradual collapse of Nigeria's policing system, citing the growing burden on rural communities that now contribute funds and logistics to keep police stations operational.
He attributed the development to the country's highly centralised policing framework, under which funding, command structure and administrative control remain concentrated in the Federal Government.
The LP standard-bearer maintained that reforming the policing architecture through the establishment of state police would improve operational efficiency and help restore public confidence in law enforcement agencies.
He urged policymakers and stakeholders to focus on designing a democratic and transparent framework that would guarantee effective oversight while enabling state police formations to discharge their constitutional responsibilities without undue interference.
