Amidst ongoing deliberations regarding the establishment of state police in Nigeria, Senator Shehu Sani has emerged as a prominent critic, casting doubt on its ability to address the nation’s pressing security concerns.
In a statement shared on social media, Shehu Sani dismissed the notion that delegating policing powers to the state level would offer a lasting solution to the nation’s security woes.
He questioned the perceived advantages of state police, positing whether they could deliver results beyond the capabilities of existing security apparatus, including the military, police, and civil defence.
Central to Senator Sani’s apprehension is that state police forces could become politicised extensions of the ruling parties in each state.
He warned against the potential consequences of such politicisation, suggesting that it could fuel further discord and destabilisation rather than fostering enhanced security.
In his view, the prospect of state police being wielded as tools of partisan interests presents a worrisome scenario, with the potential to exacerbate existing tensions and breed further distrust in the security apparatus.
Mr. Sani’s assertions follow recent statements from government officials indicating a willingness to consider constitutional amendments to accommodate state police.
According to ThisDay Live, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, revealed that both chambers of the National Assembly are willing to modify the country’s constitution to accommodate state police if the decentralisation of the country’s security architecture would eliminate kidnappings, banditry, terrorism, and other crimes in Nigeria.
Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna State, also stated that a state police force is the only solution to the country’s security problems.
However, Shehu Sani, deliberating on these issues on his X handle, stated, “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. It’s a recipe for anarchy.”