“If We Allow State Police Many People Will No Longer Go Back Home” – Wike

By Adesina Soyooye

Out of office as a Governor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has made an about-turn on his support for the establishment of State Police.

When the Minister was the Governor of Rivers State, he was in favour of the establishment of State Police to help stem insecurity. But, now, out of the Governor’s seat, and would no longer be in a position to have the State Police under his charge, the Minister seems to have changed his mind.

He sees nothing but danger if, and when, it is established.

His reason: He says it would be a weapon of witchhunt in the hands of State Governors, and any opponent of a State Governor would be charged of kinds of crimes, including armed robbery and murder, and could be killed innocently.

The Minister who spoke at a recent media chat emphasized that Nigeria was not ripe for State Police as it had no strong institutions to accommodate such.

Wike: “In Nigeria, what system do we run? Is Abuja different from Nigeria when you talk about State Police? People have been recommending State Police and Community Policing.

“Knowing where we are and where we are from, if you allow that (State Police), so many people will not come out of their houses. So, I said, let’s try it first and see how it works.

“But so many people said there’s no need to try, that we have seen it all; that if we allow State policing today, nobody would oppose any State Governor. It is either you would die for murder or armed robbery. Our institutions are not independent from manipulations. It would lead to autocracy in States”

Since the clamor for State Police began, ostensibly to help fight insecurity, almost all the State Governors are in support. But not a few people believe the clamor  is for selfish reasons. They say the Governors would use it to persecute their political opponents.