Senate President Godswill Akpabio has publicly endorsed the creation of state police in Nigeria.
Akpabion expressed this position during a national policy dialogue on state policing organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review in Abuja.
Naija News reports that the event, which attracted notable figures including former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, focused on addressing Nigeria’s security challenges under the theme, “Pathways to peace: Re-imagining policing in Nigeria.”
Represented by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Akpabio highlighted the critical need for localized policing to tackle the growing insecurity across the country.
“The concept of state police has been a topic of debate for many years. It is a complex issue with no easy answers. But today, we have the opportunity to engage in a national dialogue, to listen to the voices of our fellow citizens, and to forge a path towards a more secure Nigeria,” Akpabio said.
Echoing President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to safety, Akpabio pledged that the 10th Assembly would tackle insecurity head-on.
“President Tinubu did not only come to steady the ship of state, he came to adjust the sails and steer the ship of state through rough and fair weather, to the right direction and the right destination,” he asserted.
Akpabio also cautioned that the establishment of state police must ensure accountability and avoid becoming a tool for political manipulation.
“We must ensure that political powers do not manipulate the state police to silence dissent or target their enemies. Let us build a system that is fair, just, and equitable for all,” he emphasized.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, who delivered the keynote address, stressed the National Assembly’s role in security law-making, ensuring that initiatives like state policing adhere to constitutional guidelines and national security objectives.
“Creating state policing systems requires more than just legislative action; it requires a national consensus,” Tajudeen added.
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