Victor EzejaFormer lawmaker and human rights activist, Senator Shehu Sani, has warned that Nigerian governors will abuse state police when created.
Sani observed that given past experiences, state governors may likely use the institution to unjustly persecute those in their political opponents and also harass non indigenes, especially during elections.
In a statement via his official X handle, Sani expressed concerns that state governors might also use it to rig elections and counter the federal police in case of conflict of interest between the federal government and states.
“The state police will be used by the Governors to persecute the opposition, to harass ‘non indigenes’, to rig elections and to counter the federal police in case of conflict of interest between the federal government and the state.
“Most of the state ruling party thugs will be recruited into the state police,” Sani stated.
Sani’s comment comes as debates around the creation of state police were resurrected last week.
The debate over the creation of state police has been on for more than a decade but came back to the limelight last week following a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state governors. The meeting was to deliberate on the recent hike in food prices, economic hardship, and rising insecurity all over the country.
The federal government hinted at the possibility of embracing state police as a way of addressing the security challenges.
Sani asserted that state police won’t have much difference in curbing insecurity.
“The idea that the State Police will solve all the security problems in the Country is a mirage. What magic can the state police perform that the military, police and civil defence couldn’t? The State police will simply be an armed wing of the ruling party of each state. Its a recipe for anarchy,” Sani stated further.
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Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, who addressed State House Correspondents, after the meeting, said the 36 state governors and Mr President were considering the possibility of state police.
While acknowledging that there was still much to be done, he gave the assurance that the president and governors had decided to hammer out the details before a state police force was established.
Members of the National Assembly have also expressed readiness to amend the constitution to allow for state police.
Those who make a case for the creation of state police say it would help ensure effective community policing and boost security across the country amidst the rising spate of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.
However, some Nigerians like Senator Sani, express fear that state governors would deploy them for their own selfish ends.
Analysts have averred that while creating state police, there should be a system to check the excesses of state governors to avoid defeating the purpose of its creation.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
