State Police Will Give Governors Real Security Powers, Says Zamfara Governor Lawal

Zamfara State Governor, Dr. Dauda Lawal, has said the proposed establishment of state police will finally give governors meaningful authority over security in their states, ending what he described as their largely symbolic role as chief security officers.

Lawal stated this on Thursday while participating in the ARISE News Town Hall Meeting on “Building a National Consensus for State Police and National Security,” held at the ThisDay Dome in Abuja.

The governor argued that although state governors are constitutionally recognised as chief security officers, they currently lack operational control over the security agencies responsible for maintaining law and order within their states.

“The chain of command and control structure is not under the governors,” Lawal stated. “By the time we have state police, we can then bear our names as proper chief security officers of our respective states.”

According to him, the introduction of state police would strengthen accountability by making governors directly responsible to the people for security outcomes in their respective states.

Lawal also addressed concerns that state police could be abused by governors to intimidate political opponents, insisting that experiences with existing state-backed security outfits do not support such fears.

“Almost all states have one or more security apparatus in place and none have been used to oppress the opposition or cause mayhem,” he noted.

Using Zamfara as an example, the governor said the state already operates a community-based security network made up of residents recruited from each local government area because of their familiarity with the local environment.

“They are the frontline during any attack in any of the LGAs,” he said.

While acknowledging that no security framework is immune from challenges, Lawal maintained that adequate legal safeguards and institutional checks would minimise the risk of abuse once state police become operational.

He stressed that “no process is perfect,” but expressed confidence that continuous improvements in the legal and operational framework would address any shortcomings over time.

Describing the proposed legislation as a significant milestone, the governor said the creation of state police would strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and provide a more effective response to the country’s persistent security challenges.

“I strongly believe that state police will go a long way in solving a lot of the challenges,” he concluded.