The long-awaited constitutional approval for the establishment of state police has been welcomed by many Nigerians as a bold step towards addressing the country’s worsening security challenges. The argument has always been compelling: insecurity is local, therefore policing should also be local. Governors, being the chief security officers of their states, should possess the legal authority to deploy law enforcement resources quickly and effectively to protect lives and property.

While this objective is noble, it also raises a troubling question that Nigerians must not ignore: are we creating a more secure federation, or are we inadvertently creating fifty-four new instruments of political intimidation in the hands of powerful state governors?

History teaches that power without adequate checks and balances often leads to abuse. Across many states, governors already wield enormous influence over state institutions. In several instances, local governments function under overwhelming executive control, state assemblies struggle to exercise meaningful oversight, and traditional institutions are often pressured to align with the wishes of those in power. Introducing an armed police structure directly answerable to state governments without sufficient constitutional safeguards could dangerously tilt the balance further.

The greatest fear is not that every governor will become authoritarian. Rather, it is that the few who are inclined to abuse power may exploit loopholes in the law to silence opposition, intimidate critics, harass journalists, suppress peaceful protests, manipulate elections, and settle political scores under the guise of maintaining law and order. Such misuse would defeat the very purpose for which state police was conceived.

Nigeria’s democracy has witnessed unfortunate episodes where security agencies have been accused of selective enforcement, unlawful arrests and politically motivated prosecutions. If similar practices are replicated at the state level under direct political influence, democracy itself could suffer severe damage.

State police should never become the private army of any governor or political party. It must remain the police of the people.
This is why implementation matters far more than legislation. Recruitment into state police should reflect the diversity of every state, with officers drawn fairly from all local government areas and communities to ensure broad representation and local trust. Professional competence, integrity and merit must outweigh political patronage. Operational independence should be protected through transparent appointment processes, independent service commissions, legislative oversight and judicial review. Citizens must also have accessible channels to report misconduct without fear of retaliation.

Equally important is the need for strict accountability. Any governor found deploying state police for partisan purposes should face constitutional consequences. Abuse of security institutions should never become an acceptable cost of political competition.

To Nigeria’s governors, this moment presents a defining test of leadership. The powers entrusted to you are not for personal protection, political survival or the intimidation of opponents. They are entrusted to you to secure farmers against bandits, protect communities from kidnappers, safeguard businesses from criminals and restore public confidence in government.
The success or failure of state police will depend less on the words contained in the law than on the character of those entrusted with its implementation.

Power is temporary. Institutions endure. Governors who choose to build professional, impartial and accountable state police services will be remembered as nation-builders. Those who weaponise the institution for selfish interests may secure temporary political advantage but will leave behind a dangerous legacy that future generations may struggle to dismantle.

State police can become one of Nigeria’s greatest security reforms. It can also become one of its greatest democratic mistakes.
The choice rests not only with the lawmakers who have passed the bill but, more importantly, with the governors who will soon wield its powers. Nigerians can only hope that conscience, patriotism and respect for democratic values will prevail over the temptation to convert public security into private political machinery.

State commissioners of police at the beck and call of state governors must not become monsters that will make establishment of state police acutely regrettable.