Godswill Akpabio, Senate president, has cautioned state governors against abusing state police when the proposed system becomes operational.
Akpabio spoke during plenary on Tuesday.
Senate begins state police process
The Senate president said lawmakers have a responsibility to ensure adequate safeguards for the new policing structure.
According to him, Nigerians expect legislators to scrutinise the proposal carefully.
“Your constituents will be looking at you, and they will be interested in what you say,” he said.
‘We’ll do it in two phases’
Furthermore, Akpabio said Nigeria is taking a major step by decentralising policing.
He noted that the country has not embraced state policing since independence.
“Since 1960, Nigeria did not have the courage to decentralise policing, and this is the first time,” he said.
According to him, lawmakers will implement the reform in two phases.
“We’ll do it through alteration of the constitution,” he said.
“We’ll also embed it in an act of parliament.”
Warns against abuse
Meanwhile, Akpabio said lawmakers must design safeguards to prevent abuse of state police.
He warned that governors would not remain in office forever.
Many of them, he said, could one day become victims of the system they create.
“Many of us would like to go back home without being afraid of state police,” he said.
“Even the current governors will one day leave office.”
“They should not be afraid of the state police that they created.”
Calls for safeguards
In addition, Akpabio said the national assembly would develop mechanisms to ensure accountability.
He urged lawmakers to make observations that would strengthen the proposed framework.
“There will be a lot of safeguards,” he said.
“It is you that will make those observations.”
