Constitutional safeguards will prevent state police abuse – Kalu

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu has moved to allay fears surrounding Nigeria's proposed state police system, asserting that the constitutional amendment bill includes robust safeguards against political misuse. Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, stated that the legislation addresses concerns about governors potentially weaponizing police forces against opponents through constitutional checks and institutional oversight.

“

Our objective is not simply to decentralise policing; it is to constitutionalise accountability.

"Our objective is not simply to decentralise policing; it is to constitutionalise accountability," Kalu said in a statement. He emphasized that the bill incorporates "guardrails" to prevent abuse, ensuring that the operation of state police will be strictly regulated.

“

We have put guardrails in the way the state police are going to be operated. The guardrails will not allow any abuse.

The push for state police stems from the argument that Nigeria's current centralized policing structure is inadequate for the nation's growing insecurity. Supporters believe decentralization is necessary, while critics worry about potential political repression. Kalu highlighted Nigeria's vast size and population, noting that its single, centrally commanded force is stretched thin, falling below UN recommended ratios.

“

No other federation of our size operates this way; from Germany to India, from Canada to Australia, the world’s great federations police locally and coordinate nationally.

He drew parallels with other large federations like Germany, India, Canada, and Australia, which employ local policing coordinated nationally. The proposed framework would allow states to establish their own police services with defined jurisdictions, independent oversight, professional recruitment, and coordinated command. Kalu believes officers from local communities are better positioned to understand and police their areas effectively.

“

I often put it simply: the officer who comes from a community knows its roads, its markets, its people, its tensions. The officer who knows the forest will police the forest.