If Nigeria police, military can’t solve insecurity, state police won’t — Galadima

Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has expressed strong reservations about the proposed creation of state police forces in Nigeria. He argues that the move will not effectively address the nation's persistent insecurity challenges and could instead become a tool for political repression.

“

If the Nigerian Police, if the Nigerian Military cannot solve security situations in Nigeria, I wonder how the state police would be able to do that.

Galadima questioned the efficacy of introducing another policing structure, stating, "If the Nigerian Police, if the Nigerian Military cannot solve security situations in Nigeria, I wonder how the state police would be able to do that." He suggested that the push for state police is politically motivated, particularly with the upcoming 2027 elections. He alleged that elected officials might use these forces as "political thugs to attack the opposition, disrupt the election and kill democracy."

“

All that we know is that the president and the governors are looking for state police before the elections so that they use them as political thugs to attack the opposition, disrupt the election and kill democracy.

Drawing on historical parallels, Galadima recalled the era of the Native Authority Police. He alleged that this institution was frequently abused to intimidate and detain political opponents before elections. "When elections approached, three months to the election, the Native Authority Police would gather all the opposition elements in their territorial jurisdiction and lock them up," he recounted, noting that such actions contributed to internal migration.

“

I was adult enough to see what had happened during the Native Authority Police. When elections approached, three months to the election, the Native Authority Police would gather all the opposition elements in their territorial jurisdiction and lock them up.

Furthermore, Galadima warned that state police could exacerbate ethnic and religious divisions. He expressed concern that if recruitment in certain states is dominated by specific groups, individuals from other regions might face limitations in living and conducting business freely. He concluded that the proposed policing structure is likely to "create more problems, more division" rather than solve existing ones.

“

The state police could be used to even destroy the unity of this country because if there are certain states where only one tribe or only one religion will constitute the state police, people from other parts of the country will have no liberty to live and do their businesses as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.