Prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, has called on the federal government to establish robust institutional boundaries to insulate the proposed state police system from executive high-handedness. Reporting by The Punch indicates that Agbakoba made this urgent appeal in an official letter addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. George Akume. While praising President Bola Tinubu for sending the landmark Executive Bill to amend Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution to the National Assembly, Agbakoba warned against half-baked structural devolution.
The senior jurist argued that simply handing over policing powers to state governors without airtight constitutional protections would convert the new security outfits into “tools of oppression.” He drew parallels to the structural failures seen in State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and local government administrations, which have historically been swallowed up by subnational executive control. To avoid a repeat, Agbakoba recommended a shared recruitment, appointment, and removal template involving legislative confirmation and independent policing boards.
Furthermore, Agbakoba stated that structural devolution should extend beyond law enforcement to include other vital administrative sectors. He urged the federal government to transfer responsibilities such as prison administration, driver’s licensing, marriage registration, and trade regulations completely to subnational authorities to lighten the federal burden and enhance efficiency.
The development was validated by Channels TV, which reported that “the bill has already secured crucial passage at the National Assembly and is now traversing the subnational legislatures.” Similarly, coverage from The Guardian highlighted Agbakoba’s structural recommendations, noting that “the senior advocate pointed to South Africa’s constitutional framework as a stellar model for safeguarding public institutions from political manipulation.”
Echotitbits take: The push for state police has reached its most critical legislative phase yet, having passed both chambers of the National Assembly. Agbakoba’s warning hits at the core fear of the opposition and civil society: gubernatorial tyranny. Watch out for how the 36 State Houses of Assembly handle these institutional safeguards as they vote on the constitutional alteration bill.
Source: The Guardian – https://guardian.ng/news/state-police-agbakoba-seeks-constitutional-safeguards-against-executive-control/, June 30, 2026
Photo credit: The Guardian
