Why I Won’t Support State Police — Shehu Sani

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Monday, February 19th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A former lawmaker and social critic, Senator Shehu Sani, has explained why he will not support the proposed creation of state police across the country.

Sani said that having state police may lead to anarchy.

State police, he noted, could be used by governors for election rigging, adding that there would also be recruitment of the state’s ruling party thugs into the force.

The former senator, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th assembly, stated this in a post shared on his verified X handle on Monday.

Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, explained that the process is still in its infancy and would only take shape after more deliberations between stakeholders.

He said, “There is also a discussion around the issue of state police. The Federal Government and the state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police.

“Of course, this is still going to be further discussed. A lot of work has to be done in that direction. But if our government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, this is a significant shift.

However, reacting to the development, Sani wrote, “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,” he added.

The debate for the creation of state police in Nigeria primarily stems from the centralised nature of the Nigerian Police Force, which is perceived by many as inadequate for addressing the unique security challenges across the country’s diverse regions.

Proponents argue that the outfit would bring law enforcement closer to the communities they serve, enhance the effectiveness of policing, and allow for more localised control over security matters.