Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, a well-known Islamic cleric from Plateau State, has sharply denounced the Federal Government’s intentions to create state police, cautioning that doing so will exacerbate insecurity and encourage political persecution.

According to reports, Jingir’s remarks were made just days after President Bola Tinubu asked the National Assembly to think about changing the Constitution to permit the establishment of state police as part of initiatives to address the nation’s growing level of insecurity.

Decentralizing police authority, especially in politically delicate states like Plateau, might lead to abuse, the cleric warned.

Speaking at a program in Jos on Sunday, the Islamic scholar, who is also the National Chairman of the Council of Ulama, Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah, voiced concerns about the possibility of political manipulation of state-run security forces.

He claimed that under the pretense of preserving security, such institutions might be used to threaten or even kill political rivals.

He claimed that the state police might be used as a tool to undermine the tenuous peace in a politically heated setting like Plateau State.

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

The priest also attributed his long-standing disapproval of state police to worries that residents may use the force to target anyone they thought were settlers.

He cautioned that the establishment of security agencies under state control could give certain groups the confidence to drive others out of the state.

They claim that police should be established in every state. Will we accept this if someone says he will accept it? The question was rhetorical.

Worshippers reacted with a collective “Not at all.”

Sheikh Jingir warned against giving governors control over security forces in a direct address to President Tinubu.

“You are aware of how they deceived us.” Some of these politicians are not as good as you, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, or as good as someone like Kashim Shettima.

“Wallahi, if you allow them to set up police, they will begin murdering people who don’t share their political views,” he continued.

His belief that not all political figures should be entrusted with such authority was emphasized by the mention of Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The cleric emphasized that peace and stability must trump partisan objectives, even as he acknowledged the growing insecurity in Nigeria.

Instead of establishing new security organizations that would widen gaps, he called for ongoing communication between communities and political players as a means of achieving enduring peace.

The argument over state police has heated up in recent weeks. Supporters contend that decentralized policing would speed up reaction times and enable local information collection, while opponents worry it may strengthen government control over security and worsen ethnic and political tensions.

Sheikh Jingir’s comments join the increasing chorus of people warning against the possible constitutional modifications being considered by the National Assembly, especially in states with a history of political and ethnic strife.