Bamidele Seeks Constitutional Funding Guarantee for State Police, Warns Against Political, Criminal Influence

The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has called for the funding of proposed state police services to be made a first-line charge in the Constitution, warning that without guaranteed financial autonomy, the outfits could be manipulated by politicians, business interests, criminal networks and other powerful groups.

Bamidele, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing concerns raised by stakeholders over the proposed establishment of state police.

In a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, the Senate leader acknowledged that the reservations expressed by Nigerians regarding state policing were legitimate and deserved careful consideration.

He noted that many of the concerns stem from the experiences of the First Republic, when the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions empowered regional governments to establish police forces, a system critics argued was vulnerable to political abuse.

According to him, the National Assembly is developing safeguards to ensure the operational independence, discipline and accountability of state police services under the proposed constitutional amendment.

Bamidele said one of the key proposals is to constitutionally guarantee funding for state police as a first-line charge, similar to the financial autonomy currently enjoyed by the judiciary.

“The Commissioner of Police and the State Police Service Commission must have a guaranteed source of funds provided for in the Constitution so that the police leadership will not be subject to the whims and caprices of a state governor,” he said.

He explained that making state police funding a constitutional obligation would prevent governors from withholding funds as a means of influencing or controlling the operations of the security agency.

According to him, the proposed amendment would provide for a specified percentage of state budgets to be dedicated to the operations of state police services, with clear provisions governing access to the funds.

Bamidele stressed that financial independence is essential to the success of state policing, warning that a poorly funded police service would be vulnerable to undue influence.

“It is not only political actors that can abuse state police services. The business class, criminal groups, cabals and other organisations can equally compromise the system if it is not adequately funded. He who pays the piper dictates the tune,” he said.

The Senate leader assured Nigerians that the National Assembly is committed to establishing a state police structure that is accountable to the people and insulated from abuse.

He explained that the ongoing constitutional review seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, thereby empowering state governments to establish their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

Bamidele added that lawmakers remain committed to addressing all concerns raised by stakeholders before concluding work on the constitutional amendment.