Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has declared that the long-running debate over the creation of state police has been settled, urging the Federal Government and other stakeholders to concentrate on implementing a decentralised policing system capable of addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
Mbah made the call while speaking at the ARISE News Town Hall on State Police, where he argued that the real issue is no longer whether state police should exist but how to establish an effective framework that empowers sub-national governments to secure lives and property.
“I think that’s a settled debate. What we really should be talking about is how do we measure? How do we implement?” the governor said.
According to Mbah, although the Nigerian Constitution places the responsibility for the security and welfare of citizens on government, governors currently lack the operational authority required to effectively discharge that constitutional obligation.
“What we’re essentially saying here is, do we have the operational authority to match that responsibility?” he asked.
The governor maintained that Nigeria’s centralised policing structure has failed to keep pace with the country’s changing security landscape.
“The current model has not kept pace with the security threats we face today as a country,” he stated.
Reflecting on the situation his administration inherited in Enugu State, Mbah said insecurity had crippled economic activities, disrupted education and forced residents to abandon normal social life.
“We had the nightlife was gone. Mondays were deserted. Schools closed, we also have our children who lost an entire year because they could not sit external exams,” he recalled.
He explained that his administration made security its top priority by investing heavily in surveillance infrastructure, artificial intelligence-powered monitoring systems and a Distress Response Squad established in collaboration with existing security agencies.
“We had to invest hugely in technology, we had to set up the distress response squad,” he said.
Mbah stressed that while technology enhances intelligence gathering, rapid human response remains essential in tackling criminal activities.
“Matters of security is measured in minutes, you must be in a position where you’re able to act swiftly,” he noted.
According to the governor, the combination of technology and coordinated local security efforts has significantly improved safety in Enugu State.
“That essentially is what we did in Enugu that enabled us to drive down the violent crime by over 90%,” Mbah stated.
He advocated a policing model that combines national oversight with local operational control, saying effective security requires both national standards and community-based decision-making.
“There should be a national standard. There should be a local capability. There should be a national support. There should be a local decision making,” he said.
Mbah also urged policymakers to ensure that any constitutional framework establishing state police remains flexible enough to accommodate future reforms without requiring repeated constitutional amendments.
“There would be, of course, a change management system.
“If we have to reform, we should be able to do that without going through, again, a constitutional amendment process.”
The governor concluded by insisting that responsibility for security must be matched with operational authority, stressing that the principle should no longer be a subject of national debate.
“The view that responsibility should also go with some level of operational authority, in my view, shouldn’t be debatable,” he added.
