The senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly, Garba Musa Maidoki, has opposed the proposed State Police Bill currently before the National Assembly, expressing doubts about its capacity to address Nigeria’s growing security challenges and describing the timing of the proposal as suspicious.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Maidoki said his concerns were not necessarily about the concept of state policing itself, but about the manner in which the proposal is being advanced and the country’s poor record of implementing existing laws.
According to the lawmaker, Nigeria has repeatedly enacted laws and policies that are either poorly implemented or ignored altogether.
“When we passed the Electoral Act, we believed we had addressed key issues that would strengthen adherence to the rule of law in Nigeria. Unfortunately, everyone knows what happened during the party primaries,” he said.
“There is no state where an opposition party, regardless of its popularity or strength, can win a local government election. How then do we trust the same people with state police?”
Maidoki maintained that while the principles underlying state policing were not inherently flawed, the country should first demonstrate its ability to enforce existing laws before introducing new constitutional arrangements.
“The principles themselves are not bad. What we are saying is that we already have laws. Let us implement and practise them first so that we can identify the gaps and determine what improvements are needed,” he said.
“Whatever is contained in the law today has little meaning if it is not enforced.”
The senator also criticised the legislative process surrounding the bill, alleging that lawmakers received the 146-page draft less than 24 hours before it was scheduled for consideration.
“This bill was made available to us today, and in less than 24 hours it will be debated and moved forward. Good legislative practice requires that after public hearings, stakeholders who made submissions should be given the opportunity to review the final draft and confirm whether their views were reflected,” he said.
“The only people who currently have this document are members of the National Assembly, and we received it today. Whether you support it or not, it appears destined to pass second reading.”
Maidoki further accused lawmakers of often prioritising personal or political interests over the broader national interest.
“I have come to the conclusion that many of the laws passed by the National Assembly are designed to serve specific individuals or vested interests rather than Nigeria as a whole,” he said.
“It is unfortunate that in a community of civilised nations, we continue to struggle with the implementation of laws that are meant to strengthen our democracy and institutions.”