Northern elders reject state police, warn governors may weaponise it against rivals

A group of northern elders has urged the Nigerian government to shelve plans for state police, warning that governors could weaponise such forces against political rivals and deepen insecurity.

The Northern Progressive Elders Group said on Thursday that while violent crime and insurgency remain major challenges across Nigeria, creating state-controlled police forces would risk worsening political crises.

“We already have federal police and the military. The real problem is the politicisation of security,” senior member Yusuf Abubakar told Reuters by telephone. “If the federal police can be used to intimidate opponents, imagine what partisan governors could do with their own forces.”

The elders accused both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of exploiting violence for political gain. They cited recent arrests in Kaduna and Kebbi states as examples of how security institutions have been misused.

“Instead of creating state police that governors could use against their opponents, what Nigeria needs is justice, rule of law, and fair application of security measures for all citizens,” Abubakar said.

The warning comes as President Bola Tinubu’s administration weighs proposals to decentralise policing. In February, the federal government and state governors began talks on establishing state police, but deliberations at the National Economic Council have stalled.

Supporters argue that local forces would improve response to crime in Nigeria’s 36 states, where kidnappings and killings are on the rise. Critics counter that state police could become tools for persecution ahead of the 2027 elections.

The elders urged Tinubu to focus instead on strengthening existing security agencies, improving accountability, and providing public enlightenment, warning that rushing into state policing could undermine democracy.

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