LAGOS, NIGERIA — Renowned constitutional lawyer and former Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay SAN, has thrown his weight behind the establishment of State Police, arguing that Nigeria’s survival under a centralized federal force proves it can endure subnational policing.
Speaking in Lagos on Friday, February 27, 2026, the senior advocate addressed the primary concern haunting the national debate: the potential for governors to weaponize local police against political rivals.
“Flush with Funds, Short on Results”
Sagay’s endorsement came with a sharp critique of the 36 state governors’ financial management. He noted that since the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange window, state executives have received record-breaking allocations from the Federation Account.
“Since the removal of the subsidy and reforms in the foreign exchange regime, governors have been flush with funds,” Sagay remarked. “Yet, I cannot identify any significant changes that can be attributed to these financial resources. Therefore, they might as well spend it on establishing a police force in each of the states.”
Enduring the Exercise of Authority
Acknowledging the widespread fear that state policing could lead to regional tyranny, Sagay offered a pragmatic, if cynical, historical perspective.
“Undoubtedly, there is concern that state governors will abuse the use and operation of state police; however, we have endured a federal police system for a long time,” he argued. “If we have survived the exercise of authority by the president over the years, we will also endure the actions of the governors.”
A Nation in Pursuit of Restructuring
Sagay’s intervention coincides with President Bola Tinubu’s formal request to the Senate to amend the 1999 Constitution for the creation of state police. This legislative push occurs against a backdrop of worsening insecurity:
- The Northern Siege: In Bauchi, Governor Bala Mohammed is sounding the alarm over 10,000 armed bandits in Alkaleri, while Lakurawa terrorists are massacring worshippers in Kebbi mosques.
- Political Realignment: The recent defection of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri from the PDP to the APC has consolidated the ruling party’s power, but critics like Buba Galadima warn that this “supermajority” could make the abuse of state police even more likely.
The “Regency” Factor
While Sagay expresses confidence in the people’s resilience, opposition figures like Ralph Nwosu and Atiku Abubakar remain wary. They suggest that an administration already accused of “selective justice”—exemplified by the detentions of Nasir El-Rufai and Abubakar Malami—might use state police as a final tool to “lock the exits” for the opposition.
As the United Nations warns of a $347 million aid shortfall and millions face starvation, the debate over state police has become a high-stakes gamble. For Prof. Sagay, the risk of abuse is a price worth paying to finally dismantle a centralized system that he believes has failed to secure the Nigerian forest from marauders.
