State police must never become tool for political repression, Deputy speaker

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu has cautioned against the potential misuse of proposed state police forces, emphasizing that they must never serve as instruments of political intimidation. Speaking at the 2026 South-East Regional Security Summit, Kalu insisted that any move towards decentralized policing must be firmly grounded in accountability, professionalism, and a commitment to serving the public.

Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, argued that Nigeria's current centralized policing structure is overstretched and struggles to effectively address the nation's escalating security challenges. He views the proposed constitutional amendment for state policing as a necessary adaptation to evolving security realities, citing an executive bill to establish State Police Services as a critical step toward community-level law enforcement.

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The proposed establishment of state police must be anchored on accountability, professionalism and service to the people. It must never become a tool for political repression.

While acknowledging that decentralizing policing could improve response times and leverage local intelligence, Kalu stressed the importance of ensuring state police structures complement, rather than undermine, the Nigeria Police Force. He assured that the National Assembly would pursue these reforms while embedding robust safeguards to prevent political abuse. Kalu also praised President Bola Tinubu's efforts to reform the security architecture, including expanding the Nigerian Army and increasing personnel recruitment, which he believes will enhance the capacity to combat terrorism and banditry.

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Criminal networks do not recognise state boundaries. Our response must therefore be regional.