Abuja — A former Deputy Commander General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Sule Momodu, has issued a stark warning to President Bola Tinubu over the proposed creation of state police, describing the move as “a disaster waiting to happen.”
Momodu’s remarks come as President Tinubu intensifies efforts to amend the Constitution to allow states establish their own police forces. The President recently urged the House of Representatives to incorporate safeguards into the proposed amendment to prevent possible abuse by state governors.
But Momodu insists Nigeria should not “go there at all.”
According to him, the agitation for state police largely stems from complaints by governors that Commissioners of Police do not take directives from them. Instead of creating an entirely new policing structure, he argued that the relevant constitutional provisions should be amended to address command and control concerns.
He further questioned whether meaningful reforms have been fully implemented within the existing system. If law enforcement agencies are perceived to be underperforming, he said, government must first diagnose and fix the underlying issues before introducing another layer of policing.
Momodu pointed to persistent challenges within the Nigeria Police Force, including poor implementation of regulations, frequent transfers of Commissioners of Police, inadequate funding, poor welfare, and weak logistics support such as operational vehicles and equipment.
He urged the Federal Government to prioritize enforcement of Section 20 of the Police Act, which provides that police officers should not earn less than personnel in better-paid law enforcement agencies, noting that improved welfare would boost morale and professionalism.
The former NDLEA chief also called for activating provisions that allow special “spy police” personnel to be engaged for VIP protection and facility security, with the cost borne by requesting organisations rather than the Federal Government.
While expressing reservations about state police, Momodu congratulated the new Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, describing him as a determined officer capable of transforming the force into a more people-friendly institution.
As debate over decentralising Nigeria’s policing structure gathers pace, Momodu maintains that strengthening and reforming existing institutions remains the safer and more responsible path.
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