Natasha Warns State Police Could Be Weaponised Against Nigerians

(Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Photo by ShineYourEye)

Kogi Central District Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has warned that Nigeria's proposed state police structure must be shielded from political manipulation, insisting that lawmakers need to build strong accountability mechanisms into the legal framework to ensure ordinary citizens have somewhere to seek redress whenever abuses occur.

Speaking during a television townhall on state police, Akpoti-Uduaghan, who disclosed that she took part in drafting constitutional provisions expected to guide the reforms, said that while she supports decentralising the police.

The proposed system must first address concerns around political interference, recruitment, funding, discipline and independent oversight before it becomes operational.

"My first concern is the abuse of this state police by both state and national political actors.

If the police commander is in default of compliance, who do ordinary citizens report to?" she said.

She argued that Nigeria's centralised policing structure has created a disconnect between security realities at the grassroots and the responses coming from national authorities.

"I, personally, am in support of this centralising the police force, because, let's be very honest, in most democratic societies, whether it's America or the United Kingdom, they do operate a decentralised system of policing.

And in Nigeria today, if we are being honest with ourselves, there's a huge disconnect," she said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan reiterated that her biggest concern remained the possibility of governors or other political actors misusing state police for partisan purposes if adequate legal safeguards are not put in place.

"I'm mentioning this in capital, the abuse, the concern of abuse, of the state police, by the state and national political actors," she said.

She also questioned how Nigerians would seek justice if senior officers abused their authority, urging lawmakers to ensure that complaints against state police commanders are independently investigated rather than routed through politically influenced structures.

"Who do you report to? How do you trust that your petitions will be addressed? If the police commander is in default of compliance, who do ordinary citizens report to?

And how do you trust that a national police council would not be a boys' club of some sort, or a political club of some sort, that will turn a blind eye to genuine complaints of Nigerians?" she asked.

On funding, the senator cautioned that states generate vastly different levels of revenue, making it unrealistic to expect every state to finance policing at the same level without federal intervention.

"We do know that the economic opportunities of states in Nigeria vary.

We have some big states, like Lagos. You can't compare the revenue generated by Lagos with states like Kogi and Zamfara," she said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan also urged security agencies to deploy technology more aggressively against criminal groups, citing an incident in which suspected b@ndits allegedly distributed large sums of money through a live TikTok giveaway without being tracked.

"I have spoken loudly about the need to deploy smart technologies to curtail the excesses of insecurity in our country," she said.

Drawing on her personal experience, she recounted how a fully equipped police station she had facilitated for her constituency remained idle despite repeated notifications to the previous Inspector-General of Police, only becoming operational after the appointment of the current police chief.

"There was no response. In less than two weeks, in less than two weeks, the police station was made operational," she said. She commended the current Inspector-General of Police for activating the facility, saying the contrasting responses from two different police leaderships underscored the importance of competent leadership within security institutions.

"The same government, same office, different response," she added.

The senator stressed that no legal framework alone could guarantee effective policing unless those implementing it were patriotic and genuinely committed to the rule of law.

"No matter the laws we deploy, no matter how beautiful the literatures are in our Constitution, we still are going to rely on human beings to effect this," she said, adding that her concerns were shaped in part by her experiences during previous elections in Kogi State.

"He would tell me that his hands were tied, they would tell me to please reach the national police," she said.

Akpoti-Uduaghan also alleged that during one encounter with a former police commissioner, after presenting evidence of armed political thugs operating openly, she received a response she described as deeply troubling.

"He said, Madam, why don't you recruit your own thugs too? To balance power?" she recalled.

Despite these concerns, she expressed confidence that ongoing constitutional and legislative reforms could produce a stronger policing system if lawmakers, security agencies, civil society organisations, traditional institutions and citizens work together.

"I do believe that my office, and the entire National Assembly, will walk in harmony with the state governors, with the police to ensure that every Nigerian's life and properties are properly secured and the state police will walk harmoniously with the federal, to bring safety to Nigeria," she said.