The lawmaker representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi, has reiterated his opposition to the creation of state police, but insisted he is in support of state policing.
Gagdi, last Sunday, while interacting with his constituents in Kanam following another wave of attacks by bandits, disagreed with the clamour for the creation of state police which has been championed by Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang.
While kicking against the idea, Gagdi said:
“My position, even on the House floor, is that governors will misuse state police, particularly against political opponents, not to maintain peace and order.
“I say this without fear of contradiction or political misrepresentation. Nigeria is not ripe for proliferation of security agencies. Rather, I support strengthening existing security agencies. Fund the police, military, Department of State Services and others adequately, and ensure accountability,” Gagdi stressed.
While appearing on national television a few days later, the legislator maintained his position, adding that his opposition to the creation of state police stems from the fact that governors would use the operatives against their perceived political opponents during elections.
“Mention one state governor who conducted an election and you have two per cent of the members of the local legislative council won by the opposition.
“Tell me one state, including my APC states, where you have one or two local government council chairmen that the opposition members win?
“It means, therefore, that you will rate INEC at the national level as more transparent and better than the state independent electoral commission.”
He also stated that if there is a state police, governors would arm the operatives who would then turn against opponents.
“Now, if the governors cannot handle a state independent commission fairly, how will you trust them with the power to control AK-47s at the state level? I am entitled to my opinion.
“If they cannot handle a state independent electoral commission well and even allow opposition to win in a relatively fair election, but they take everything for themselves, strangling opposition, chasing and arresting, and announcing the result they want to announce, how do you then give them state police?”
He also raised concerns about giving governors control over armed security, stressing that they would abuse such powers.
“How do you think a governor will use state police? If you give him civil power to conduct elections and he uses it militarily, what if you give him military power?”
However, during a radio programme in Jos on Friday, Hon. Gagdi brought on a new twist, stating that he is rather in support of community policing where local youths are recruited into vigilante groups and equipped to protect their communities since they know the terrain better.
Gagdi said such vigilante groups would be more effective than state police as they would only be answerable to their communities rather than a governor.
Hon. Gagdi has been known for donating millions of naira to vigilante groups in different parts of the state, including a recent donation of N30 million to local vigilante groups in his constituency. Despite the huge donations, insecurity still persists in the state, especially in the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam zone where he represents.
