Social media users have reacted to comments by former Kaduna senator Shehu Sani following the Senate’s passage of a constitutional amendment bill establishing state police across Nigeria’s 36 states.
According to reports, the legislation marks a significant step toward decentralising policing and allowing states to operate their own police forces.
Reacting to the development on his official X account, Sani referenced complaints from some communities that federal police officers deployed to their areas were not from their ethnic or religious backgrounds.
“People who complained that the federal police deployed to their villages were not from their tribes or religion will now have a state police made up of people from their tribes and religion,” Sani wrote, adding that their long-held aspiration had become a reality.
The post quickly attracted reactions from social media users, generating debate over the implications of state policing and its potential impact on security, representation and community relations.
While supporters viewed the development as a response to longstanding concerns about local representation in law enforcement, others raised questions about the challenges and responsibilities that could accompany the implementation of state police structures across the country.
