The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has cautioned leaders against abusing the state police, if and when constituted, News About Nigeria reports.
He gave this warning while speaking at the one-day national dialogue on security and state police organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Monday.
Akpabio stated that as a country, a security architecture that is robust, transparent, and accountable must be built, adding that if state police departments are created, they must be free from the shackles of politics, religious extremism, tribalism, and ethnicism.
He proposed that, as a nation trying to embark on the model of state policing for the first time, it will be of benefit if the country draws inspiration from the United States of America (USA) and learns from its experiences while adapting its models to suit Nigeria’s unique socio-political context.
“In working out modalities for the state police and the security of our nation, we must not forget that security is not a privilege, but a fundamental right of every Nigerian. It is our duty to ensure that this right is upheld, that justice is served, and that the rule of law prevails.
“We must build a security architecture that is robust, transparent, and accountable. If we are to set up state police departments, we must ensure that they are free from the shackles of politics, religious extremism, tribalism, and ethnicism. We must empower them to serve and protect, without fear or favour,” he stated.
Akpabio further warned that leaders must resist the temptation to use state police as a tool of oppression or witch-hunting, adding that political powers should not manipulate the state police to silence dissent or target their enemies.
