I Have Always Been Against State Police – Kwankwaso Gives Reason

Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, has restated his opposition to the creation of state police in Nigeria.

Naija News reports that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Presidential Candidate said the renewed demand for state police was largely driven by the inability of the existing federal policing system to adequately address the country’s security problems.

The former Minister of Defence, who spoke on the Untold Stories podcast, said the worsening security situation had forced governments at different levels to look for additional ways to protect citizens.

According to him, the idea of state police emerged because of what he described as the failure of the federal or national police to effectively deal with insecurity.

He said: “I have always been against state police, and I can tell you the issue of state police came because of the failure of the federal or national police. I think it’s one of the big mistakes that government is doing.

“But one can understand if there is any failure, nobody wants to take responsibility. It’s only when there is success, everybody, even somebody who is one thousand kilometers away from it, will be claiming. We can see how things have reversed themselves to the extent that leaders in this country are telling their citizens to go and purchase arms. They go and own arms to protect themselves. It has gone that bad.

“And as long as people have too many arms in their hands, I can tell you there will hardly be any peace. Because even little disputes between neighbors or even husband and wife, I can tell you one may decide to go and take the arms and use it.”