The Senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa, has voiced his opposition to the establishment of state police in Nigeria, citing concerns over potential political abuse.
Musa made his stance known on Monday in Kano, following the conclusion of deliberations at the Senate Committee’s Retreat on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Musa, who also serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, argued that the introduction of state police would lead to corruption and bias along ethnic, religious, and political lines.

He further stated that existing efforts at community policing have been ineffective.
“I am no longer in support of the creation of state police,” Musa said. “We introduced Community State Policing, and it’s not working.
The infrastructure is lacking, and there’s an imbalance in the makeup of the personnel. This will only create more problems for the country, leading to political abuse and corruption.”
The senator expressed concerns that the state police system could be easily manipulated for political gain, and could exacerbate regional and ethnic divisions within Nigeria.
However, while rejecting the state police proposal, Musa voiced his support for granting autonomy to local governments, calling it a critical step towards improving governance at the grassroots level.
“Local government autonomy is very important,” he said, emphasising the need for more decentralised governance to ensure equitable development across Nigeria’s diverse regions.
Musa also reiterated his stance on federalism, highlighting that Nigeria’s structure has already been demarcated into zones based on interconnected sub-national states.
He stressed that strengthening the federal system and granting local governments more independence would contribute to national development without the risks posed by state-controlled policing.
The senator’s position adds to the ongoing debate about restructuring and the future of Nigeria’s federal system as lawmakers continue to review the country’s constitution.
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