Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, says establishment of state police will go a long way in mitigating Nigeria’s current security challenges.
Senator Bamidele stated this while delivering a distinguished personality lecture series of the University of Ilorin’s Department of Political Science, in conjunction with the Institute of Legislative Studies, titled, Constitutional Amendment and Political Dynamics of State Policing in Nigeria, held in Ilorin, Kwara state.
He said with proper control mechanism put in place state policing will solve the problem.
Senator Bamidele noted that security affairs should be decentralized in the country.
According to him, it is imperative that Nigeria explores State Policing as the next available option to central police force, adding that the central police force had failed to effectively manage the nation’s security challenges.
The Senate Leader, noted that the move towards State Policing is not without its political complexities.
He explained that one of the primary concerns is the potential for abuse of power by states, who he said might use State Police forces to suppress political opposition or violate human rights.
Senator Bamidele said to mitigate such risks, any constitutional amendment must be accompanied by stringent checks and balances.
He maintained that there should be robust mechanisms for oversight and accountability to ensure that State Police forces operate within the bounds of the law and respect citizens’ rights.
In his welcome address, the acting Head of Political Science Department, Dr. Adebola Bakare, said the department settled for the topic; Constitutional Amendment and the Political Dynamics of State Policing in Nigeria, because of conflicting trajectory on State Policing, among levels of Nigerians.
“While some people argued for the establishment of state police to complement the federal policing architecture to adequately cover the nooks and crannies of the country, others are afraid of what will become of the state police in the hands of tyrant.
Report by ALI MUHAMMAD RABIU
