Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, has described President Bola Tinubu’s push for the establishment of state police as a “masterstroke” that will strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and improve efforts to tackle insecurity, especially in the North.
Barau stated this during Hannu Da Yawa, a live Hausa programme on Radio Nigeria Kaduna.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, the lawmaker explained the rationale behind the State Police Bill recently passed by the Senate while responding to questions from callers across Northern Nigeria.
Barau, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, said the executive bill followed extensive consultations involving the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Inspector-General of Police, governors, retired police officers, security experts, civil society organisations and members of the public.
“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,” he said.
He explained that state police would complement the Nigeria Police Force by promoting community policing, noting that officers recruited from local communities would have better knowledge of the terrain and criminal elements.
“State Police operatives, who will be recruited from local communities, know the people, the terrain and even the criminals. This will significantly improve our response to banditry, kidnapping and other crimes.
“The North stands to benefit significantly. This initiative is designed to bring lasting peace to the worst-hit areas,” Barau added.
The Deputy Senate President also said the proposed constitutional framework contains safeguards against abuse, stressing that the President would have the constitutional power to direct the Federal Police to take over if state police are used for intimidation or actions that threaten lives and property.
He added that while the Nigeria Police Force would retain responsibility for national security issues such as terrorism and cybercrime, state police would focus on internal security and public order.
Barau expressed optimism that state Houses of Assembly would support the constitutional amendment, urging Nigerians to embrace the reform as a necessary step towards addressing the country’s security challenges.
