Senator Rufai Sani Hanga (Kano Central, NNPP) has publicly rejected the push for creation of state police forces in Nigeria, warning that such a move could empower governors to abuse security structures for political ends.
Speaking to journalists in Kano, Hanga argued that establishing state police would likely generate rivalry between state-controlled and federal security agencies, undermining national cohesion and security effectiveness.
He further warned that state police could be used by state governors as instruments to intimidate political opponents and suppress dissent. “Creating a state police is creating a police state,” he said.
On related security reforms, Hanga also criticized the recent withdrawal of police protection from VIPs (Very Important Persons), suggesting that the move exposed lawmakers and others to increased risk an issue he describes as ill‑advised and dangerous.
Hanga pledged to vote against any constitutional amendment that paves the way for state police, maintaining that such proposals pose grave risks to democratic governance and could deepen insecurity rather than resolve it.
