Governor Uba Sani Supports State Police as Solution to Insecurity

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has backed the plan to set up state police. He believes this is the best way to tackle Nigeria's growing insecurity. He dismissed fears that governors might misuse the police to target political rivals.

Mr Sani shared his views on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday. This was just hours after the Senate approved a bill to create state police services across Nigeria.

As a strong supporter of state police, he stated that the new legal framework has enough measures to stop any misuse by state governments. His remarks come during a national discussion about security reforms. There are rising worries about the ongoing attacks, kidnappings, and banditry across the country, especially in the North-west.

In Kaduna State, security issues continue to be a big problem. Areas like Southern Kaduna, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Chikun, Kajuru, and Kachia still report kidnappings and attacks by armed groups.

Recently, Christian groups and community leaders in Kaduna have called on the government to do more to protect lives and property. In light of these issues, Mr Sani said state police would allow for a more effective and local response to security threats.

“There is nothing political about state police. The goal is to enhance the protection of lives and property and improve security at the grassroots,” he stated. The governor also rejected claims that governors would have total control over state police commissioners. He insisted that the proposed law has several layers of oversight.

“I can tell you today that you can appoint the commissioner of police, but you cannot sack him. That is the issue. You can’t even sack him through the state assembly alone,” Mr Sani explained.

He added that removing a state police commissioner would need approvals from the Police Service Commission, the Police Council, the National Assembly, and the State House of Assembly.

“There are a lot of safeguards to stop abuse. They are clearly provided for in the Act,” he mentioned.

On the financial side of maintaining state police, Mr Sani said governors are ready to take on that responsibility. “I believe governors are ready. For me, funding is not a problem,” he said.

He argued that states have shown they can fund important sectors and would invest in security if given the constitutional power to do it. He believes the benefits of better security will outweigh the costs of setting up and running state police.

President Bola Tinubu sent a bill to the Senate on Tuesday to amend the 1999 Constitution. This amendment will allow for the creation of state police services across Nigeria. The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, bringing the proposal closer to law.

If the National Assembly approves it and the president signs it, this law will change Nigeria’s current centralized policing system. It will create a dual system with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

This proposal is one of the biggest changes to security since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999. For years, governors, traditional rulers, security experts, and civil society groups have called for decentralized policing. They argue that the current system is stretched and unable to handle complex security issues.

But some worry that this system could allow state governments to target political opponents, silence dissent, and interfere with democracy. Mr Sani believes these fears are unfounded. He argued that those against the idea either did not understand the bill or did not see the safeguards in it.

He is confident that Nigerians will eventually support state police as a necessary step to tackle the country’s ongoing security problems.