By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, has declared that the proposed State Police system being championed by the President Bola Tinubu administration could become Nigeria’s most significant security reform in decades, saying it would strengthen community policing and deal a major blow to banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Barau, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, assured Nigerians that the proposed arrangement would operate under strict constitutional safeguards designed to prevent political intimidation, abuse of power and ethnic manipulation.
Speaking during Radio Nigeria Kaduna’s Hausa live programme, Hannu Da Yawa, monitored in Abuja on Sunday, the Deputy Senate President said the reform was designed to complement the Nigeria Police Force rather than replace it.
According to him, State Police would focus primarily on community-based policing and grassroots intelligence gathering, while the Federal Police would retain responsibility for terrorism, cybercrime, transnational crimes and other national security matters.
“The objective is not to replace the Nigeria Police Force but to strengthen our security architecture by bringing policing closer to the people,” Barau said.
He explained that officers recruited from their local communities would possess deeper knowledge of the terrain, understand local dynamics and identify criminal elements more easily than officers deployed from distant locations.
According to him, this local knowledge would significantly improve intelligence gathering and operational response to insecurity.
“An officer recruited from a community understands the people, the environment and the criminal networks operating within that area. That advantage is critical in confronting banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes,” he stated.
Barau disclosed that the constitutional amendment bill emerged from extensive consultations involving the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Inspector-General of Police, retired security chiefs, governors, civil society organisations and security experts.
He added that the proposal was further enriched by public hearings conducted across the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Deputy Senate President acknowledged that concerns about the possible misuse of the State Police by governors and political actors had dominated public discussion of the initiative.
However, he maintained that the proposed legislation contains adequate checks to prevent abuse.
“President Tinubu carefully studied the situation and discovered that while many Nigerians support State Police, there are fears that it could be abused for political or ethnic purposes. That is why safeguards have been deliberately built into the system,” he said.
Barau revealed that the legal framework empowers the President to intervene whenever a State Police outfit is deployed unlawfully or used to intimidate citizens or political opponents.
Under such circumstances, he said, the Nigeria Police Force would have the power to take over operations and restore order.
He also disclosed that State Police Commandants would be appointed through a transparent, law-protected process to shield them from undue political influence.
“The safeguards are there because this administration understands the concerns of Nigerians and is determined to ensure that the system works for the people and not for politicians,” he said.
Regarding funding, the Deputy Senate President admitted that sustainable financing and uniform operational standards would determine the initiative’s long-term success.
He, however, expressed confidence that workable funding arrangements would emerge as deliberations on the constitutional amendment progress.
Barau said the proposed reform would particularly benefit states facing persistent attacks by bandits, kidnappers and criminal gangs by improving response time and strengthening preventive policing.
“We must re-engineer our security architecture to protect lives and property better while guarding against abuse. This is a balanced and consultative initiative aimed at bringing policing closer to the people,” he said.
He expressed optimism that state Houses of Assembly would support the constitutional amendment, describing State Police as an unavoidable reform in view of Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
During the interactive programme, Barau also fielded questions from callers on insecurity, constitutional reforms, and other national issues, reiterating the National Assembly’s commitment to measures to improve public safety and restore confidence in law enforcement institutions.
