The presidential running mate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said that the growing call for state police is a direct consequence of what he described as the federal government’s failure to address insecurity across the country.
Speaking on News Central’s 60 Minutes with Mr. Kay, the former governor of Kano State argued that Nigerians are seeking alternatives because the government has not effectively fulfilled its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.
“I believe that the issue of state police came as a result of government failure. The government has failed in the area of security. Therefore, people are looking for all options, either for them to solve the problem or for them to hide behind it, and of course, they go to the issue of state police,” Kwankwaso said.
Drawing from his experience as a former Minister of Defence and former Chief Security Officer of Kano State for eight years, he maintained that state police would not be necessary if the federal government were performing its duties effectively.
“In my opinion, state police is as a result of that failure. As a former Minister of Defence and former Chief Security Officer of Kano State for eight years, I don’t believe that state police is necessary if the federal government is doing its job,” he added.
Kwankwaso further stated that the current level of insecurity in Nigeria has surpassed the debate over state police, stressing that the federal government should adopt a more comprehensive approach to tackling the crisis.
“The level of insecurity as it stands today has passed the issue of state police. The federal government should have looked at the issue comprehensively, do the right thing, and the state governments would complement their efforts,” he said.
His comments come amid renewed national discussions on the establishment of state police as a possible solution to rising cases of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, and other security challenges across Nigeria.
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