By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja
A fresh controversy has erupted over the recently passed State Police Bill after Prince Nweze Onu, Deputy National Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), warned that the proposed security reform could be turned into a dangerous political weapon by state governments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Prince Onu in a strong worded statement on .Thursday, acknowledged that establishment of state police has long been proposed as a potential solution to Nigeria’s growing security problems — but warned that the bill is being advanced in conditions likely to erode public trust in the nation’s democratic institutions.
The NNPP chieftain criticized the bill’s hurried approval, arguing that reforms with such wide-ranging consequences demand extensive national consultation and thorough public scrutiny before being enacted.
He argued that key matters—accountability, operational independence, funding arrangements, constitutional protections, and oversight mechanisms—had not been given sufficient national debate before the bill became law.
His intervention is coming on the heels of the 2027 elections intensifies nationwide, prompting rising concerns among stakeholders about the impartiality of security agencies during the electoral period.
The NNPP Stalwart warned that without strong constitutional protections, state police formations could be susceptible to political interference and potentially deployed against opposition figures, critics and dissenting voices.
He recalled concerns that have trailed some regional and state-backed security outfits operating across the country, including the South-West’s Amotekun Corps and the South-East’s Ebubeagu, noting that public debates around their operations have often raised questions about accountability, professionalism and allegations of abuse.
He urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to pause plans for a nationwide state policing system and instead conduct a thorough review of existing regional security units, strengthen their operational frameworks, and fix identified weaknesses.
The NNPP deputy national chairman further insisted that any state police arrangement must be backed by clear constitutional guarantees capable of ensuring transparent recruitment processes, professional training, independent complaints mechanisms, judicial oversight and severe sanctions against political misuse.
He maintained that security institutions must remain impartial and serve all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion or social status.
“Nigeria deserves security institutions that protect every citizen equally. We must never permit any reform, however well-intentioned, to become a tool for political persecution,” he stated.
Onu consequently called for wider national consultations and a more deliberate implementation process, insisting that security reforms should strengthen democracy and national unity rather than deepen political divisions.
His comments add another dimension to the growing national debate over state police, a proposal that has divided opinion among political leaders, security experts and civil society groups, even as supporters argue that decentralised policing could improve local intelligence gathering and accelerate responses to insecurity across the federation.
