By Abdullateef Fowewe
Amid rising fears of insecurity creeping into the South-West, experts gathered at the University of Ibadan on Wednesday for a one-day roundtable on constitutional state policing, calling for urgent action to reshape Nigeria’s security architecture before threats overwhelm the region.
Coordinated by Professor Benjamin Aluko, Director of the TETFund Centre of Excellence in Security Management at UI, and Dr Seye Oyeleye, Director General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the event drew legal luminaries, retired police chiefs and scholars.
They dissected opportunities, pitfalls and a roadmap for implementation, stressing that half-hearted reform could spell disaster for democracy.
Professor Aluko set the tone, stressing the stakes: “We’re here to generate ideas on implementing constitutional state policing right. If mishandled, it could threaten our democracy, peace and stability. We’ll send our findings to South-West governors for action.”
Chairman/CEO of Mothergold Limited and Mothergold Consulting, Dr Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, while speaking, framed it as a test of state legitimacy and citizen trust.
“This is about protecting lives, liberties and property – government’s sacred duty,” he said, painting a grim picture of evolving threats: terrorism, insurgency, banditry, industrial-scale kidnapping and cybercrimes spreading southwards.
“The South-West can’t pretend it’s immune anymore. State policing isn’t optional; it’s a national imperative,” he added.
He warned against “decentralising dysfunction,” urging lessons from the Nigeria Police Force’s woes: distant ownership breeds intelligence gaps; poor management – from recruitment to welfare – fuels failure; and unchecked control invites abuse.
Fagbenro-Byron proposed a layered framework: “Legal foundations: constitutional amendments, state laws, funding and anti-politicisation safeguards like independent commissions.
“Operational muscle: training, tech, forensics and intelligence-led policing.
“Public trust: community engagement and inter-ethnic protections.”
Challenging the Inspector General of Police’s 60-month timeline as too slow for rampaging threats, he pushed for a 12-month rollout: amend the constitution, set up commissions, train pioneers and pilot in ready states like the South-West.
“Reform delayed amid escalating threats is risk compounded,” he noted, invoking his late mother’s wisdom: “Tis better to get to heaven before the devil knows you’re dead.”
Former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Oyo State, Barrister Mutalubi Adebayo, SAN, in his remarks, reminisced about Nigeria’s federal past with native authority and border police, scrapped under military rule.
He nodded to President Tinubu’s support but stressed collaboration with the federal police, lamenting lost opportunities.
Former Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, and former Security Adviser to the Oyo State Governor, CP Fatai Owoseni (rtd), defended police commissioners’ discretionary powers under the constitution.
“I served in Lagos and Benue without running to Abuja. No CP wants chaos in their state,” he said, blaming underfunding and a dormant Police Council – meant to include governors – for current woes.
He cited Amotekun and neglected special constabularies (community police) as half-steps, warning multi-ethnic tensions could derail state police without fixes.
Professor I.O. Albert, UI’s peace studies pioneer, humanised the debate, noting: “Police are victims of the system too. The problem isn’t just them.”
AIG Adeoye Olafimihan (rtd) summed up the discussion on unity: “The police are the people, and the people are the police. They must unite for community safety.”
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