•Reassures Nigerians over accountability
•Says north stands to benefit more from idea
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Jibrin Barau, yesterday, defended President Bola Tinubu’s proposal to establish State Police, hinting at how the idea would work efficiently without succumbing to any form of abuses.
He described it as a major security reform designed to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity while incorporating constitutional safeguards against abuse.
Barau said the proposed State Police system would complement the Nigeria Police Force by strengthening community-based policing and improving responses to banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country.
A statement by his Media Adviser, Ismail Mudashir, explained that Barau stated this during Radio Nigeria Kaduna’s Hausa live programme, Hannu Da Yawa, on Sunday.
Barau said the executive bill had undergone extensive consultations and legislative scrutiny, including public hearings conducted across the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to him, the proposal was developed through collaboration involving the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Inspector-General of Police, retired police officers, security experts, state governors, civil society organisations and members of the public.
He said the administration had taken into account concerns expressed by Nigerians over the possible misuse of State Police by political office holders and had consequently built safeguards into the constitutional amendment.
“President Tinubu carefully studied the situation and discovered that while many Nigerians support State Police, there are fears that it could be abused or misused for political or ethnic purposes. That is why safeguards have been built into the system,” Barau said.
He said officers of the proposed State Police would be recruited from their local communities, enabling them to better understand the terrain, local dynamics and security challenges.
According to him, such local knowledge would enhance intelligence gathering and improve the capacity of security agencies to combat criminal activities.
Responding to questions from callers during the programme, Barau said northern states, which have witnessed persistent attacks by bandits and kidnappers, stand to benefit significantly from the proposed policing structure.
He reiterated, too, that the constitutional framework also provided checks against abuse of State Police powers.
Barau said where a State Police outfit was allegedly used to intimidate citizens or threaten lives and property, the president would have the constitutional authority to direct the Nigeria Police Force to assume responsibility for security operations in the affected state.
He further explained that responsibilities between the Federal Police and State Police would be clearly defined, with the Nigeria Police Force retaining jurisdiction over national security matters such as terrorism, cybercrime and other federal offences, while State Police would focus on internal law enforcement and maintenance of public order.
The Deputy Senate President further assured Nigerians that State Police Commandants would emerge through a structured appointment process backed by legal provisions intended to shield them from undue political interference.
Addressing concerns over funding and operational capacity, Barau said the necessary financial arrangements and operational guidelines would be developed as work progresses on the constitutional amendment and supporting legislation.
He expressed confidence that state Houses of Assembly would support the proposal, urging Nigerians to embrace what he described as a critical reform aimed at bringing policing closer to the people while improving security nationwide.
“We must re-engineer our security architecture to better protect lives and property while guarding against abuse. This is a balanced, consultative initiative built on safeguards and aimed at bringing policing closer to the people,” he said.
Barau also responded to questions from listeners on insecurity and other national issues during the two-hour programme.
