The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria has cautioned against hasty creation of state police, urging broader consultations before constitutional amendments.
The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) has called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, state governments and other stakeholders to exercise caution in establishing state police, warning against rushing the constitutional amendment process.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Secretary General, Nafiu Baba Ahmad, the Council insisted that wider consultations with Nigerians must precede any constitutional changes on the matter.
The Council, which has been tracking the ongoing debate, described the proposal as one with far-reaching implications for justice, national unity and the country’s future.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s severe security challenges—including loss of lives, mass displacement and pervasive fear—the Council argued that state police should not be regarded as a quick-fix solution. It maintained that the nation’s security failures stem primarily from inadequate funding, corruption, manpower shortages, poor welfare provisions, weak intelligence gathering, obsolete equipment and deficient inter-agency coordination.
“These problems will not disappear simply by devolving policing powers to state governments,” the Council stated, urging instead the strengthening of existing security agencies through enhanced funding, recruitment, intelligence modernisation, technology deployment, border security, accountability and professionalism.
The Council voiced particular concern over the pace of the constitutional amendment process, asserting that such a momentous decision demands broad public consultations, transparent hearings and national consensus before finalisation. It noted that many Nigerians believe the National Assembly had conducted insufficient consultations on the proposal.
The Council, however, commended lawmakers advocating due process and wider engagement, describing them as acting in the national interest.
It further warned that any state police system must not become an instrument of political intimidation or discrimination, stressing that Nigeria’s religious, ethnic and political diversity requires a policing framework that protects every citizen equally under the Constitution.
(NAN)
