A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Adisa Bolanta, has cautioned against the ongoing push for the creation of state police in Nigeria, warning that it would amount to "a recipe for disaster."

Bolanta, who spoke to journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State, argued that those advocating for state police were largely driven by personal interests.

He maintained that the failures of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) stemmed from poor funding, inadequate equipment, and undue political interference not from the centralised structure of the force.

"State police is a recipe for disaster. It is not the centralised nature of the NPF that is the problem, but deliberate underfunding, political meddling, and lack of proper motivation,"Bolanta stressed.

The retired police chief, who previously served as Commissioner of Police in Oyo, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Imo States, as well as Commandant of the Police Academy in Kano, insisted that reforming and adequately funding the existing federal police while strengthening community policing remained the best solution.

He dismissed comparisons with countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, noting that those nations have politically sophisticated citizens and robust legal systems that ensure accountability regardless of social status.

Bolanta further questioned the ability of state governments to finance their own police structures, pointing out that many states rely heavily on federal allocations and struggle to pay workers' salaries.

He added that since nearly 70 percent of policemen already serve in their home states, local representation is not Nigeria's key policing challenge.

Instead, he called for improved logistics and sustained funding for the federal police. Reflecting on his early days in the force, he recalled how better support enabled efficiency:

"When I was posted to Ekpoma Police Station in Bendel State in 1982, the station had two Land Rovers for patrol and a lorry for deployment. Fuel, diesel, and stationery were provided monthly. That's why we were effective. The way you make your bed is how you lie on it, so if little is given, little should be expected."

On community policing, Bolanta clarified that it is about partnership, not recruitment "Community policing means involving citizens in security by giving them a voice and receiving their input. It doesn't mean civilians wearing uniforms."

Drawing from his experience supervising elections in Sokoto and Rivers States, he identified poor welfare and political interference as the major threats to electoral security.

He dismissed the stereotype that police officers will always collect bribes, insisting that adequate funding and proper care strengthen their loyalty and professionalism.

On broader insecurity, the retired AIG emphasized that security is a collective responsibility and urged Nigerians to cooperate with the police by sharing timely information.

He also advised youths to avoid unnecessary confrontations with law enforcement by dressing decently.