ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has advocated financial autonomy for state police services and sustained investment in technology, saying both are indispensable to the success of any decentralised policing system Nigeria may adopt.
Speaking at a town hall meeting on “Building a National Consensus for State Police and National Security,” organised by Arise News in Abuja on Thursday, Mbah said the proposed legal framework for state policing must strike a balance between national oversight and operational flexibility at the state level.
According to him, while national standards and coordination remain essential, state police formations must be adequately empowered with the resources and decision-making authority required to tackle security challenges peculiar to their jurisdictions.
The governor argued that a State Police Service Commission should enjoy first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund to guarantee sustainable funding, similar to the financial arrangements already provided for state legislatures and judiciaries.
“The importance of funding the state police system cannot be overstated. If the commission has guaranteed access to funding through a first-line charge, it will ensure stability and continuity in security operations,” he said.
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Drawing from Enugu State’s experience, Mbah recalled that his administration inherited a severe security crisis in 2023, with economic activities disrupted by criminality and illegal sit-at-home orders that crippled businesses, nightlife and even academic activities.
He said the administration quickly realised that its economic development agenda could not succeed without first restoring security across the state.
To address the challenge, he explained, the government invested heavily in technology, deploying an AI-powered Safe City Surveillance System equipped with fixed and mobile CCTV cameras while establishing a Distress Response Squad to improve emergency response.
Mbah noted that the state also created a unified security communication architecture, bringing the police, military and Department of State Services under one Command and Control Centre to facilitate real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated operations.
According to him, those interventions have reduced violent crime in Enugu State by more than 90 per cent.
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The governor stressed that the significant financial burden already borne by state governments in supporting security operations underscores the need for a properly funded state policing structure.
He also urged lawmakers to avoid overloading the Constitution with operational details, recommending that only the establishment of state police be constitutionally guaranteed while implementation guidelines should be left to an Act of the National Assembly for easier future amendments.
Mbah further dismissed concerns that governors could misuse state police for political purposes, insisting that elected leaders hold office for limited periods and should be given sufficient operational authority to deliver on their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.
“Nobody remains governor forever. We will all leave office someday and become ordinary citizens again. What is important is ensuring that governors have enough operational control to effectively deliver on security responsibilities entrusted to them,” he said.