They'll be used to rig elections - Shehu Sani opposes creation of state police

Human Rights Activist, Senator Shehu Sani has raised concerns regarding the Federal and State Government’s recent agreement to establish state police forces to tackle insecurity.

Through a statement on his Twitter handle, Senator Sani highlighted apprehensions that the new law enforcement structure could be misused by governors for political gains, potentially undermining democracy and civil liberties.

“The State Police will be used by the governors to persecute the opposition, to harass ‘non-indigenes’, to rig elections and to counter the federal police in case of conflict of interest between the federal government and the state,” Sani tweeted.

He further cautioned that this move might lead to the recruitment of state ruling party thugs into the state police, thereby compromising its integrity and purpose.

This critical stance comes in the wake of the decision made on Thursday, February 15, 2024, when President Bola Tinubu and State Governors convened in Abuja to address the nation’s dire insecurity issues.

At the meeting, they agreed upon the creation of state policing as a solution to bolster security measures.

This decision was seen as a strategic move to decentralize policing in Nigeria, intending to make law enforcement more responsive by leveraging local knowledge and capacities.

This content was created with the help of an AI model and verified by the writer.