Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has warned that the proposed creation of state police must not become a tool for political intimidation, urging lawmakers to include strong constitutional safeguards to prevent abuse.
She made the call on Thursday while speaking at the “Building a National Consensus for State Police and National Security” conference organised by ARISE News and THISDAY Newspaper in Abuja.
While expressing support for decentralised policing, the senator stressed that any state police structure must remain accountable to the rule of law and serve the interests of the people rather than political office holders.
“State police should never become an instrument of political oppression or executive intimidation. We must build a policing system that serves the people, protects democracy and remains accountable to the rule of law,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also highlighted the need for sustainable funding, warning that state police would struggle to perform effectively without adequate financial support. She said personnel welfare, training, intelligence gathering and modern security equipment should be prioritised in any funding framework.
The senator further commended President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police for what she described as their prompt response to security challenges.
“I commend Mr President and the Inspector-General of Police for their prompt and decisive actions on security issues. That kind of responsiveness builds public confidence,” she added.
The conference brought together government officials, security experts, civil society groups and other stakeholders to discuss constitutional amendments, funding models and accountability measures for the proposed state policing system.
Source: ARISE News/THISDAY Conference.
