Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has voiced strong opposition to the creation of state police, citing concerns about potential misuse of power by governors.

During a media chat on Sunday, Wike argued that Nigeria’s institutions lack the independence necessary to support a state policing system without risking abuse.

“In Nigeria, what system do we run? Is Abuja different from Nigeria when you talk about the police? People have been recommending community policing and state police,” Wike stated.

“Knowing where we are, and where we are from, if you allow that, so many people would not come out of their houses. So, I said let’s try it first and see how it works.”

He warned that implementing state police without proper safeguards could lead to oppressive governance. “If they allow state policing today, nobody would oppose any state governor. It is either you would die for murder or armed robbery. Our institutions are not such that are independent,” he added.

Wike also acknowledged a shift in his stance from when he previously supported state policing as governor of Rivers State. “The mere fact that I supported state police [when I was governor], if I was wrong, I was wrong. If I was right, I was right,” he said.

“What we are saying is that our institutions are not strong enough to be independent of manipulation by the system.”

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During his tenure as governor, Wike signed a bill to establish the Neighbourhood Safety Corps, which was tasked with detecting crime, arresting offenders, and, in some cases, bearing arms.

Despite this, he now believes the country is not ready for state or community policing due to systemic weaknesses.