Professor Isaac Olawale Albert of the University of Ibadan has warned that the creation of state police alone will not solve Nigeria’s security problems unless governments improve the conditions under which police officers operate.
Albert, a professor of peace and conflict studies and security scholar, said the Nigerian police had demonstrated their professional capacity in international assignments but often struggled at home because of poor working conditions.
Speaking with PrimeStar News Online, Albert said Nigerian police officers had won medals and performed creditably in international peacekeeping operations, demonstrating that the problem was not necessarily a lack of professional ability.
He argued that the Nigerian environment in which police officers operate was a major factor affecting their performance.
According to him, officers who are poorly paid, inadequately equipped and poorly accommodated cannot be expected to perform at their best.
Albert said a study conducted on the conditions of police officers had revealed significant problems affecting the effectiveness of the force.
He therefore cautioned against assuming that the creation of state police would automatically improve security.
The professor said state police could face the same problems as the existing system if governments failed to provide adequate funding, equipment, infrastructure and proper welfare for officers.
He argued that decentralising the police structure without addressing these fundamental issues could simply reproduce existing weaknesses at the state level.
Albert also stressed the importance of impartiality in policing.
He recalled his experience in Northern Ireland, where he observed policing practices during his international engagement in peace and conflict studies.
According to him, policing in a conflict environment requires officers to maintain professional neutrality and avoid allowing religious, ethnic or political considerations to determine their actions.
He said this was particularly important in Nigeria because the country was characterised by significant religious, ethnic and political differences.
Albert argued that security personnel must be able to act professionally regardless of the identity of the individuals or communities involved.
He also expressed concern over the politicisation of security management in Nigeria.
According to him, political and identity considerations sometimes interfere with security operations, thereby weakening the ability of security agencies to respond effectively to threats.
The professor said Nigeria possessed considerable security expertise, pointing to the country’s long history of international peacekeeping.
He also said Nigerian soldiers had considerable experience in land warfare.
Albert maintained that improving security therefore required more than creating new institutions.
He said governments must invest in the personnel, equipment and infrastructure needed to make those institutions effective.
He added that police reform should focus not only on where the police are controlled from but also on how officers are recruited, trained, paid, equipped and protected while performing their duties.
For him, any discussion of state police must therefore be accompanied by a serious examination of the conditions under which police officers are expected to work.
