Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Itse Sagay (SAN), has expressed support for the establishment of state police, arguing that Nigerians would endure potential excesses by governors just as they have lived with the federal policing structure for decades.
Speaking on Arise Television on Friday, Sagay said concerns that state governors might abuse control of state police forces should not derail ongoing conversations about decentralising Nigeria’s security architecture.
“Nigeria is surviving the exercise of authority under federal police; we would do the same with state police,” he said.
“If we have survived the exercise of authority by the president over the years, we will also endure the actions of the governors.”
Sagay’s remarks come amid renewed national debate over the creation of state police as a strategy to tackle rising insecurity across the country.
Proponents argue that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering and rapid response, while critics fear it could empower governors to suppress political opponents.
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The senior advocate also referenced the increased allocations to state governments following the removal of fuel subsidy and reforms in the foreign exchange regime.
According to him, governors now have greater financial capacity but have yet to demonstrate transformative impact commensurate with the additional funds.
“Since the removal of the subsidy and reforms in the foreign exchange regime, governors have been flush with funds, yet I cannot identify any significant changes that can be attributed to these financial resources,” Sagay noted, suggesting that states could channel some of these resources into building and maintaining their own police formations.
His comments add a legal and constitutional dimension to the growing calls for security sector reform.
For many Nigerians grappling with insecurity, the debate is less about political control and more about finding practical solutions that restore safety in communities nationwide.