The Vice Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has cautioned against the proposed creation of state police in Nigeria, warning of serious political and security risks associated with decentralizing law enforcement.
Speaking during a television interview on News Central TV on Thursday night, the former Kano State governor argued that establishing state-controlled police forces could expose citizens to political intimidation and executive abuse. He expressed concern that state governors would likely weaponize local police formations to protect political interests and suppress opposition voices in their respective domains, rather than focusing purely on impartial public safety.
Kwankwaso attributed the growing advocacy for state police directly to broader governance and security failures across Northern Nigeria, noting that persistent leadership gaps had exacerbated insecurity to the point of forcing structural policy changes. He noted that the demand for state police is a direct result of these systemic leadership failures, suggesting that effective governance and proper utilization of the existing federal security architecture would have rendered the push for state-level forces unnecessary.
Expressing further concern over weapons control and public safety, the former defense minister warned that the federal government must exercise strict regulation to prevent the unchecked circulation and proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the country, which could escalate if local police units are established without proper oversight.
Kwankwaso’s remarks join an ongoing national debate regarding constitutional amendments to allow for state policing in Nigeria. While proponents argue that state police forces are necessary to address localized insecurity, kidnapping, and banditry across various states, critics frequently raise concerns over operational funding, potential partisan abuse by state executive branch officials, and human rights oversight. The former governor maintained that strengthening the operational capacity, funding, and intelligence gathering of the Nigeria Police Force remains a safer and more effective alternative to decentralizing armed law enforcement agencies to state governors.
