The Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has warned that Nigeria’s proposed state police system could fail to achieve its objectives unless it is backed by adequate funding and financial autonomy.
Speaking on Thursday at the ARISE News Town Hall on State Police, Bamidele said creating state police without a sustainable financial structure would expose the system to undue influence from politicians, wealthy individuals, corporate interests and even criminal groups.
According to him, financial independence is critical to ensuring that state police operate professionally, impartially and effectively in protecting lives and property across the country.
Bamidele stressed that if state police depend solely on the goodwill of state governments or other powerful interests for funding, officers could become vulnerable to political interference, compromising law enforcement and public trust.
He noted that beyond establishing state police, lawmakers and policymakers must design a transparent and sustainable funding framework that guarantees operational efficiency and accountability.
The Senate leader’s remarks come amid renewed national debate over the establishment of state police as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s growing security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.
He urged stakeholders to ensure that any constitutional and legal framework creating state police includes provisions that protect the institution from financial manipulation and political control.
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