Perspectives from retired security officials include:

• Brigadier General Peter Aro (retd.): Aro supports decentralization but argues that state police must be a structured security reform rather than a political project. He maintains that states should manage internal security—including intelligence gathering, investigations, and community policing—while suggesting that matters like presidential and National Assembly elections remain under federal jurisdiction to maintain neutrality. He further proposed the use of neutral judicial-security panels to review politically sensitive or controversial cases to mitigate the risk of abuse.

• Assistant Inspector-General of Police Ali Amodu (retd.): Amodu believes governors should have control over state police because they will be responsible for their funding, maintenance, and equipment. He acknowledges concerns regarding potential governor overreach but insists that Nigeria’s severe security situation necessitates immediate action, noting that adjustments to the system can be made as challenges arise.

• Brigadier General George Edim (retd.): Edim advocates for empowering governors with greater security responsibilities, arguing that the advantages of decentralization outweigh the risks. He contends that if properly empowered and structured, governors can effectively manage security within their borders, and they should be trusted to fulfill these duties in line with democratic principles.

• AIG Wilson Inalegwu (retd.): Inalegwu is more skeptical, questioning the specific nature of the powers governors are requesting and emphasizing that no democracy should grant police power to political officeholders without robust checks and balances. He argues that governors already hold significant influence and that their push for further authority could lead to abuses of power, such as ordering arrests without due process. He insists that state-level oversight institutions, similar to the federal Police Service Commission, must be established if state police are created.

Three suspects, identified as Chinedu David (29), Ezeagwu Chukwuma (38), and Ifeanyi Ogbeanyi (45), were arrested during the operation. Lagos State Commissioner of Police Fatai Tijani announced that the suspects were apprehended Saturday night while transporting the contraband in an unregistered MAN diesel truck.

The truck and the items, which included dozens of sacks of military uniforms and cartons of substances believed to be illicit drugs, were taken into custody. Preliminary investigation suggests the military gear was destined for the South-East region of Nigeria. Investigators are working to identify the source, owner, and intended recipients of the goods. They are also examining the level of involvement of the suspects and tracking potential co-conspirators.

While CP Tijani assured Lagos residents that the discovery poses no immediate security threat to the state as the items were being moved elsewhere, he expressed concern regarding the recovery due to historical connections between criminal organizations and the use of military-style uniforms. A police source confirmed that the truck’s driver and assistant were the first suspects detained, followed by two additional suspects who later came to a Surulere police station claiming ownership of the seized items.