State Police: Ndume calls for deeper Senate debate on funding, control

By Lawrence Agbo

Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has backed the Senate’s passage of the bill seeking to establish state police but said lawmakers should have spent more time examining the proposal’s operational details.

Ndume spoke on ARISE NEWS on Wednesday after the Senate passed the constitutional alteration bill for state policing.

While saying he voted in support of the measure, the former Senate Chief Whip stressed that the upper chamber must carefully scrutinise major legislation, particularly proposals with implications for security and governance.

“I support the state creation wholeheartedly,” Ndume said. “But the Senate is supposed to be mature enough and looking at things critically. I’m not comfortable with just the President bringing up anything and we are checking and rushing to pass it.”

He described the Senate as the “House of Deliberation,” arguing that lawmakers must analyse proposals before reaching decisions.

“The other name of the Senate literally is the House of Deliberation,” he said. “We are elders, because senators are supposed to be elders, and are supposed to look out for any idea, look out and analyse it, and deliberate properly.”

The Borno senator said the central issues were how state police commands would be funded, coordinated and controlled, as well as the legal framework that would guide their operations.

“I voted for the bill. My major concern… is the intricacies, the implications, the law, the legal aspect. How do you synchronise it? How do you source their funds? How do they operate?” he asked.

Ndume also acknowledged fears that governors could use state police against political opponents, journalists and critics, but said such risks could be addressed through safeguards in the enabling framework.

He said the Senate had discussed the need to introduce “safety valves,” adding that security experts and professionals should be involved in developing the structure.

Ndume maintained that state police should complement wider reforms aimed at addressing insecurity and improving citizens’ welfare, which he described as the government’s core constitutional duty.

He urged Nigerians not to dismiss the initiative before it is implemented, arguing that stronger community-based security arrangements could expand protection in underserved areas.

Drawing from Borno’s experience, Ndume cited the Civilian Joint Task Force and other local security groups as examples of how community participation can support security agencies.

He also advocated the eventual creation of local government police, saying a decentralised structure could improve security presence in communities without police stations.