Sam Amadi urges police reform over state police creation, cites political control as core issue

Sam Amadi, Director of Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, argued on Arise Television Sunday that Nigeria needs to reform policing institutions rather than merely creating state police forces. Speaking July 12, he stated the police crisis stems from excessive political control and advocated for greater decentralization by restructuring relationships between state commissioners of police and the Inspector-General of Police.

Amadi emphasized that effective solutions require properly diagnosing problems before implementing reforms, saying he's "neither for nor against state police" but prioritizing solutions that actually work. He argued true decentralization means bringing police closer to communities, not just creating new state-level forces that could replicate existing issues.

The academic's comments come amid ongoing debates about establishing state police forces across Nigeria. Amadi cautioned against pursuing solutions simply because they seem appealing without addressing root causes of police inefficiency, politicization, and disconnect from local communities.

With police reform debates intensifying nationwide, should Nigerians focus on fixing existing police structures through better accountability and community ties, or pursue structural changes like state police as a primary solution?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/07/13/nigeria-must-reform-policing-not-just-create-state-police-sam-amadi/