Former Kano State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has rejected calls for the establishment of state police, arguing that the growing demand is largely a consequence of failures in Nigeria’s federal security system.
Kwankwaso said worsening insecurity had forced Nigerians and state governments to explore alternative approaches to protecting lives and property, including the creation of state-controlled police forces.
Key Highlights
- Rabiu Kwankwaso says he has consistently opposed the establishment of state police.
- He argues that the clamour for state police is linked to perceived failures in the federal security system.
- Kwankwaso says the current level of insecurity requires a comprehensive federal response.
- The former Defence Minister criticised calls for citizens to acquire firearms for self-defence.
- He warned that widespread access to firearms could create additional security risks.
- The debate over state police remains part of wider discussions on how to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.
Kwankwaso Opposes State Police
Speaking on the debate, in an interview with News Central TV, Kwankwaso said he had consistently opposed state police, arguing that the proposal gained momentum because the Nigeria Police Force and other federal security agencies had struggled to adequately address insecurity.
“I have always been against state police, and I can tell you the issue of state police came because of the failure of the federal or national police,” Kwankwaso said.
The former governor said the worsening security situation had led governments to search for alternative ways of protecting their citizens.
Kwankwaso also suggested that the Federal Government appeared to be shifting some responsibility for security to state governments instead of strengthening the existing federal security architecture.
Asked whether he meant the government was surrendering responsibility to bandits, Kwankwaso said he was not describing the situation in those terms.
Former Defence Minister Cites Government Experience
Kwankwaso, who previously served as Minister of Defence, said his experience in government had influenced his concerns about the current approach to tackling insecurity.
“As a former governor and also minister of defence, and somebody who has advised President on Darfur and Somalia, I think it’s one of the big mistakes that government is doing,” he said.
He argued that governments sometimes struggle to accept responsibility when policies or security measures fail, while officials are often quick to associate themselves with successful outcomes.
According to Kwankwaso, this tendency could make it more difficult to address security challenges because accountability becomes unclear when responsibilities are repeatedly shifted between different levels of government.
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Kwankwaso Warns Against Widespread Firearms Ownership
The former Kano governor also raised concerns over calls for Nigerians to acquire firearms for self-defence amid worsening insecurity.
He said the growing encouragement for citizens to arm themselves demonstrated the severity of the security situation.
“We can see how things have reversed themselves to the extent that leaders in this country are telling their citizens to go and purchase arms. They go and own arms to protect themselves. It has gone that bad,” Kwankwaso said.
He warned that widespread possession of firearms could create additional security risks, arguing that weapons in the hands of civilians could escalate disputes that might otherwise be resolved peacefully.
“And as long as people have too many arms in their hands, I can tell you there will hardly be any peace,” he said.
Kwankwaso said even ordinary disagreements between neighbours or family members could potentially become violent if firearms were readily available.
State Police Debate Continues
Kwankwaso’s position comes amid continuing debate over whether Nigeria should establish state police as part of efforts to improve security.
Supporters of state police have argued that state-controlled forces could provide policing that is more responsive to local security conditions, while critics have raised concerns about political interference, accountability and the potential misuse of state-controlled security agencies.
Kwankwaso, however, maintains that the Federal Government should strengthen the existing national security architecture and address the underlying security challenges rather than rely on state police as the primary solution.
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