Abuja: Former Governor of Rivers State, Celestine Omehia, has issued a cautionary note to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the National Assembly (NASS) regarding the expedited passage of the State Police Bill into law. Omehia expressed his concerns during an interview, emphasizing the potential threat that state police structures could pose to democracy across Nigeria’s 36 states and 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Omehia argued that the establishment of state police could lead to ethnic dominance, with majority groups potentially using security forces to oppress and intimidate minority populations. He stressed the need for extensive public debate and a national hearing on the matter, rather than allowing state assemblies to make this critical decision unilaterally.
Omehia warned that state governors might misuse state police forces as personal militias against political adversaries, saying, “He who pays the piper dictates the tune; the governors will fund, equip, and ultimately weaponise these police forces, and at the long run it will result in tribal wars and become an albatross to our democracy.”
Highlighting the existing security framework, Omehia noted that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) could effectively secure the nation if managed and funded appropriately. He suggested that the Federal Government should focus on recruiting more personnel into the NPF to enhance its capabilities.
Reflecting on his tenure as Rivers governor in 2007, Omehia shared that his administration had successfully used the NPF to combat cultism and insurgency by training special personnel to restore peace. He introduced a ‘carrot and stick’ approach alongside the ‘C4I’ strategy-Command, Control, Communication, Computer, and Intelligence-to dismantle criminal networks.
Omehia expressed concerns about existing illegal militias controlled by politicians, warning that formalizing state police could exacerbate the issue. He also cautioned that in northern Nigeria, bandits might infiltrate the state police, seizing control of local security apparatuses.
He concluded by urging President Bola Tinubu and the senate leadership to carefully consider the existential threats before progressing with the State Police Bill, warning of potential human rights abuses and the erosion of democratic foundations at the grassroots level.