We are very “special and interesting” people!
It is sheer hypocrisy that many Nigerians have spent years championing state policing as a vital pillar of true federalism, only for some to reject it the moment it became reality. Rather than addressing additional safeguards (if there’s any that has not already been considered) that might be necessary given the urgency that is clearly imperative, some of those who enthusiastically backed the bill through years of regional consultations, have abandoned their principles the moment the law was actually passed, proving they prefer the issue as something else rather than an actionable solution.
The bill was passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, but it is obvious that some of our people prefer partisan togas over national good.
If a decentralised police force was considered an urgent, life-saving necessity under previous administrations, calling it a “recipe for anarchy” under the current administration amounts to double standards and puts motives in question.
By demanding that rural (and even urban in recent times!) communities—who face daily threats of banditry and kidnapping—wait until after a possible change in government in 2027 for localized protection, some of our compatriots present the country with a confusing paradox. We routinely blast the federal government for not doing enough to protect citizens, yet we are actively trying to block the deployment of local police forces designed to fix that exact failure.
