Kalu backs state police despite fears of abuse or hijack

Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, says concerns over possible hijack should not stop Nigeria from creating state police.

Kalu made the statement on Saturday in Abuja while speaking with journalists on the ongoing constitutional amendment process, which includes the state police bill as one of its central proposals.

President Tinubu and several governors have already endorsed the move, arguing that decentralising policing will help curb banditry, kidnappings, and other violent crimes.

“I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create state police. We are looking at that holistically,” Tinubu said earlier this month.

But critics warned that state police could become tools in the hands of governors, weaponised against opposition figures and dissenting voices.

Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, dismissed those concerns as secondary to Nigeria’s urgent security needs.

“We are thinking about the response time of policing in Nigeria, which at the moment is below the global standard. The only way we can achieve this is if we unbundle it from how it is centralised.

“Just as the constitution is clear on concurrent and exclusive lists, certain matters will now be handled by the state and federal police, respectively,” he said.

He further argued that the debate must weigh fears of abuse against the demand for safety.

“There may be fears of hijacking, but we cannot deny the majority of Nigerians the security of lives and property that we promised them.

“So, which should we go for—the greater good or the fear of the minor threat? I think we should go for the greater good,” he added.

On diaspora voting, the deputy speaker urged caution, warning that Nigeria must first strengthen its local electoral system before extending the ballot abroad.

“Rome was not built in a day. It will happen, but we must first put our house in order. If Nigerians demand it during constitutional amendment hearings, we will look at the possibility,” he added.