From Shuaibu Ibrahim Gusau
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has said the establishment of state police will significantly improve security management in Nigeria by giving governors real authority as chief security officers of their respective states.
Governor Lawal stated this while participating as a panellist at the Arise News Town Hall Summit titled “Building a National Consensus for State Police and National Security” held at the ThisDay Dome in Abuja.
He noted that insecurity has continued to persist across many states because the existing security command and control structure does not place governors at the centre of security operations despite being referred to as chief security officers.
According to him, allowing state governments to take responsibility for securing lives and property within their jurisdictions would strengthen policing and provide more personnel and resources to effectively combat criminal activities.
“We are being called chief security officers of our respective states; however, the command and control structure is not under the governors,” Lawal said.
The governor expressed support for recent moves toward establishing state police, saying it would enable governors to properly fulfil their responsibilities and allow citizens to hold them accountable for security outcomes.
“I strongly believe that by the time we have state police, it will go a long way in solving many of the challenges, and we can then truly bear our names as proper chief security officers of our respective states,” he added.
Governor Lawal dismissed concerns that state police could be used by governors to intimidate political opponents, noting that most states already operate various security outfits without reports of widespread abuse.
He, however, acknowledged the need for strong safeguards to prevent possible misuse of power.
“I support state police. I recognise people’s fears of possible abuse, but with the right processes in place, those fears will be allayed,” he said.
The summit brought together governors, security chiefs, lawmakers, civil society organisations, policy experts, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to discuss ways of building national consensus on state police and strengthening Nigeria’s security framework.
