Senate President Godswill Akpabio has issued a strong warning to Nigerian governors against abusing the proposed state police system once it is established.

Speaking during a plenary session on Tuesday, as the National Assembly moves closer to approving state police as a strategy to address the country’s security challenges, Akpabio said:

“Many of us like to go back home after we are through here, without being afraid of the state police.”

“Even the current governors will one day leave office, they should not be afraid of the state police they created.

“Your conscience will be looking at you, and they will be interested in what you say. Since 1960 Nigeria did not have the courage to decentralize the police. This is the first time we’ll do it.”

“And this will be done in two phases; one will be through alteration of the constitution and the other one we will embed an Act of Parliament in order to bring out the modalities to avoid abuses.”