President Can Assume Control of State Police if Powers Are Misused – Barau

Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau has dismissed concerns that the proposed state police system could be abused by governors, insisting that the constitutional framework contains safeguards, including provisions allowing the President to intervene when necessary.

Barau made the remarks while addressing widespread public concerns over the proposed decentralisation of policing, following the National Assembly’s recent passage of the State Police Bill as part of ongoing constitutional amendments.

According to him, fears that governors could turn state police into political tools are being addressed through carefully designed constitutional checks and balances. He explained that under the proposed arrangement, the President would have the authority to take over the operations of a state police service if it is found to have been abused or is no longer functioning in accordance with the law.

The Deputy Senate President stressed that the legislation is intended to improve security across the country rather than weaken democratic institutions. He argued that decentralised policing would enable faster responses to local security challenges while maintaining federal oversight where necessary.

Barau noted that the bill also establishes mechanisms to prevent unlawful interference in policing operations. Under the proposed framework, a state Commissioner of Police may refer directives considered unlawful or inconsistent with professional policing standards to the National Police Council for review. The Council’s decision would be binding, providing an additional layer of accountability.

He maintained that the country can no longer rely solely on a centralised policing structure to address its growing security challenges, adding that state police would strengthen intelligence gathering and improve community-based law enforcement.

The State Police Bill, which has secured approval in the National Assembly as part of the constitutional amendment process, seeks to establish state police services alongside the existing federal police. However, before the proposal can become law, it must still receive approval from at least two-thirds of the country’s State Houses of Assembly and obtain presidential assent.

The proposal has generated extensive national debate, with supporters arguing that decentralised policing will enhance security, while critics continue to express concerns over the potential for political misuse despite the safeguards included in the legislation.