Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has expressed strong support for the establishment of state police in Nigeria while cautioning the Senate against becoming a mere endorsement chamber for proposals originating from the Presidency.
Ndume, a former Senate Chief Whip and a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), made his position known on Wednesday following the Senate’s passage of the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across the country.
Although he voted in favour of the legislation, the outspoken lawmaker voiced concerns over what he described as the rapid manner in which the Senate handled the proposal, insisting that issues of national importance deserve more rigorous scrutiny and extensive debate.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Ndume emphasized that the Senate’s constitutional role is to carefully examine, analyse, and deliberate on critical national matters before making decisions.
“I support the state police wholeheartedly. But the Senate is supposed to be mature enough and look at issues critically. I’m not comfortable with the President bringing anything and we are simply checking and rushing to pass it,” he said.
According to the senator, the upper legislative chamber derives its reputation as the “House of Deliberation” from its responsibility to thoroughly evaluate policies and legislation before approving them.
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“The other name of the Senate literally is the House of Deliberation. Senators are supposed to be elders who examine every idea critically, analyse it properly and deliberate before arriving at decisions,” he added.
When asked whether some lawmakers appear overly eager to align themselves with the President’s position on key national issues, Ndume responded affirmatively, saying, “Which is true.”
His remarks have added a new dimension to the ongoing debate surrounding state police, particularly because they came from a member of the ruling party who supported the bill but remains critical of the legislative process that produced its passage.
Ndume clarified that his reservations were not directed at the concept of state police itself but at the need to fully examine the legal, operational and financial implications of the proposed security structure.
“I voted for the bill. My concern is about the intricacies, the implications, the legal framework. How do you synchronise it? How do you fund it? How exactly will it operate?” he queried.
The senator maintained that while state police could strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, it should not be viewed as a stand-alone solution to the country’s security crisis.
According to him, the protection and welfare of citizens remain the primary responsibility of government as stipulated under Section 14(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.
“The major problem we have in this country now is security and welfare of citizens. If government is putting all its energy into addressing that, then I am in support of it,” he said.
Ndume also dismissed arguments from critics who insist that state police would fail before it is even established, describing such views as overly pessimistic.
“We have not even implemented it, so how can anyone conclude that it will not work? That is a pessimistic view. We are talking about creating a state police system under a unified command structure and improving on what currently exists,” he stated.
Addressing concerns that governors could deploy state police to harass political opponents, journalists and critics, the senator acknowledged the legitimacy of such fears but argued that adequate legal safeguards could prevent abuse.
He noted that similar concerns already exist under Nigeria’s current centralized security arrangement, where the police, military, Department of State Services (DSS), and other agencies ultimately operate under the authority of the President as Commander-in-Chief.
“Like the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the DSS, they are all under the Commander-in-Chief, who is the President. Can you say he is abusing that power?” Ndume asked.
The lawmaker revealed that several senators had raised concerns during deliberations that governors might use state police to target political opponents through arbitrary arrests and detention.
According to him, lawmakers have already discussed the need to build “safety valves” and institutional safeguards into the proposed framework to prevent such abuses.
“My colleagues expressed fears that if a governor controls state police, he could order a commissioner to arrest someone simply because he does not like that person. But it does not have to work that way if the right legal protections are put in place,” he explained.
Ndume further argued that security professionals, law enforcement experts and practitioners with practical field experience should play a central role in developing the operational framework for state policing.