Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has assured Nigerians that state police, if established, will not be used by governors to target political opponents.
Governor Sani made this statement during a press briefing after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
The governor also appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday to address growing fears about the potential misuse of state police.
He emphasized that proper legislation by the National Assembly would prevent such abuse.
“The issue of whether governors will use them (state police) against their opponents is something that can only happen if the National Assembly and those crafting the law give the state police all the powers to do that,” Sani said.
According to Governor Sani, all 36 state governors have shown overwhelming support for the establishment of state police.
He revealed that their unified position was presented during the NEC meeting.
This development comes amid rising calls for decentralizing policing to tackle insecurity more effectively.
“For three years now, if we had state police, most states would not have the level of insecurity disrupting business and daily activities,” Sani noted.
Governor Sani explained that fears of misuse can be addressed through carefully crafted laws.
He believes that the National Assembly has the responsibility to ensure that the legislation creating state police includes safeguards.
“The act of lawmaking involves sitting together to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of certain clauses,” he added.
This legislative oversight, he said, would ensure that no governor could weaponize the state police for political purposes.
Concerns about funding state police have also been raised, but Governor Sani dismissed these worries.
He explained that many state governments already allocate significant budgets to support federal police operations.
“Most governors currently spend large amounts to assist the federal police, so funding state police won’t be much of a problem,” he said.
Governor Sani highlighted the critical role state police could play in improving security.
He argued that having local police forces would enhance intelligence gathering and sharing because officers would be familiar with the communities they serve.
“Most people in these communities know the terrain better, and having state police will make it easier to gather intelligence and solve security issues,” he said.
Governor Sani stressed that the establishment of state police requires more than just the endorsement of the NEC.
He noted that state houses of assembly must also play a key role in the process.
“The positions of the state governors are critical, but the state assemblies are equally important to make this happen,” he explained.
This collaborative approach, he said, would ensure that the process of establishing state police is seamless and widely accepted.
The debate over state police has been ongoing for years, with many Nigerians calling for decentralization of the country’s security architecture.
Proponents argue that the current federal policing system is overstretched and unable to address local security challenges effectively.
Security expert Dr. Akin Olusola believes state police could be a game-changer for Nigeria.
“Policing is best handled at the community level. State police will allow for quicker response times and better intelligence,” he said.
Despite the growing support, some Nigerians remain skeptical about state police.
They fear that governors could exploit the system to intimidate opponents, silence dissent, or manipulate elections.
Nigeria has been grappling with escalating insecurity, including banditry, kidnappings, and insurgency.
Many believe that state police could help address these challenges by bringing law enforcement closer to the people.
Governor Sani argued that local police forces would be better equipped to handle security issues because of their understanding of local dynamics.
“If we want to solve the problem of insecurity, we need state police,” he said firmly.