Don’t approve state police, politicians’ll use it against opponents – Islamic leader warns Tinubu

A senior Islamic cleric in Plateau State has warned President Bola Tinubu against pushing forward with the creation of state police.

The cleric said the move could worsen political tension and deepen insecurity in fragile states.

The warning came days after President Bola Tinubu asked the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to allow states establish their own police forces to tackle rising insecurity across the country.

Speaking at a public religious programme in Jos,, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, who leads the Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), said state-controlled security outfits would be abused by politicians.

He argued that in a politically sensitive environment like Plateau State, such a force could be turned into a weapon against perceived enemies.

According to him, some local actors are already using the debate around state police to stir fear and unrest.

He warned that once state police structures are in place, old ethnic and political disputes could be revived under the cover of law enforcement.

The cleric also linked his opposition to concerns that state police could be used to target people considered “settlers” and force them out of certain communities.

He said this would destroy fragile peace efforts and widen divisions among residents.

Sheikh Jingir urged political leaders to focus more on dialogue, reconciliation, and unity instead of creating new security bodies that may be misused.

He stressed that peace must come before political ambition.

“Some issues, they will pretend as if everything has gone down, but they will just raise them when the security outfit is established,” Sheikh Jingir said.

He then questioned the crowd on whether such a policy should be accepted.

“They say they should establish police in every state. If anyone says he will accept this, are we going to accept it?,” he asked.

The audience replied loudly, “Not at all.”

Addressing the president directly, the cleric warned that not all political leaders could be trusted with control over armed security forces.

“You know how they cheated us. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, some of these politicians are not as good as you, they are not as good as someone like Kashim Shettima.

“Wallahi, if you grant them the permission to establish police, they will start killing those who are not inclined towards their political ideology.”

The Islamic leader insisted that any security reform must be carefully handled to avoid turning law enforcement into a political tool.

He called on the federal government to strengthen existing national security agencies instead of creating parallel structures in the states.