State police framework will include safeguards against abuse — Bamidele

Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, on Wednesday assured Nigerians that constitutional and legal safeguards would back the proposed state police system to prevent its abuse by state governments.

Speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja, Bamidele who represents Ekiti Central at the red chambers said the National Assembly was mindful of public concerns over the potential misuse of state police and was incorporating accountability measures into the ongoing constitutional amendment process.

He acknowledged that fears about possible abuse were legitimate but argued that no policing structure was entirely immune from manipulation, noting that even the existing federal policing system could be subject to misuse.

According to him, the constitutional amendment will contain provisions aimed at limiting the powers of state governments and reducing the likelihood of abuse, while additional safeguards will be provided through amendments to the Police Act.

“We are putting mechanisms in the law as we amend the Constitution that will prevent or minimise instances of abuse by state governors,” he said.

Bamidele explained that while the Constitution would establish the legal framework for state police, the accompanying amendments to the Police Act would spell out operational details and accountability mechanisms that could not be accommodated in the Constitution.

The Senate Leader also disclosed that most state governors had endorsed the proposal and were expected to grant speedy approval to the constitutional amendment when it is transmitted to their respective State Houses of Assembly.

“It’s no longer about political interests or politics. All of us are on the same page that there is a need for this,” he said.