By Ali Rabiu
A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Adisa Bolanta, has strongly opposed the ongoing move to establish state police in the country.
Bolanta, stated this while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
,He alleged that those calling for the decentralisation of the nation’s policing were driven by personal interest.
Bolanta , argued that the failure of policing in Nigeria is not a structural problem but one of poor funding, inadequate equipment, and undue political interference.
The retired police chief, maintained that the solution lies in properly funding and reforming the existing federal police structure while embracing community policing—not decentralising the force.
“To me, state police is a recipe for disaster. You know why I say that? It is not the centralised nature that is the challenge of the NPF. Rather, it is the deliberate underfunding, undue political interference in the running of the police, and the lack of adequate motivation that are responsible for the poor performance of the NPF,” he said.
Bolanta, who recalled his vast experience managing security in volatile states, questioned the motive of those agitating for state police.
He stated: “Comparing Nigeria with countries like the USA or the UK is out of place. adding that those countries have a politically sophisticated population and an established, respected legal system that nobody, no matter their status, can disobey without consequences.”
Bolanta dismissed the notion that state governments are better positioned to fund the police, pointing out that some states can hardly survive without federal subvention and often struggle to pay workers’ salaries.
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