Agbakoba Commends Tinubu For State Police Bill To NASS, Expresses Concern Over Governors’ Influence.

By Emelayo Nwosu

Senior lawyer and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba has commended President Bola Tinubu for transmitting the Bill to establish state police in Nigeria, even as he expressed worry of the overbearing influence of state governors on institutions.

In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, @oagbakoba, he said if properly implemented “the initiative could bring security closer to communities that need it most.”
He, however, expressed concern over the proper implementation of state police across Nigeria, drawing examples from the state electoral commissions and local governments that are being controlled by governors.
He said: “reform is not just about what we create; it is also about what we safeguard.

“Nigeria has a challenging history with institutions founded on good intentions.
“Look at our state electoral commissions and local governments, each started with promise but ultimately fell under the control of the very executives they were intended to oversee.
“If state police are handed to governors without constitutional safeguards, they could easily follow this troubling trend, with consequences that could be far more severe.”

Better approach

According to Agbakoba, there is a better approach to the implementation of the state police initiative to ensure its independence, proper funding and accountability.
“South Africa’s Constitution treats critical institutions as guardians of democracy rather than extensions of the executive branch.
“These institutions are designed to be independent, secure in their tenures, directly funded, and solely accountable to the legislature.
“This is the framework I have proposed to the Federal Government, not only for state police but also for the Police Force, the Independent National Electoral Commission (@inecnigeria ), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (@officialEFCC ), the @cenbank , the @njcNig , and other entities that remain vulnerable to executive interference,” Agbakoba stated.
He said details of his argument, including a proposed appointment and removal framework modeled after the judiciary are contained in a letter he has written to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.