State Police Debate: Security is a Right, Not a Privilege – Hon. Ziphion Chrysantus

The Liaison Director for MDAs and Security Agencies in Plateau State, Ziphion Chrysantus, has faulted politicians who oppose the creation of state police while enjoying heavy protection from government resources.

Speaking in an interview with TVC News, Chrysantus described the situation as unfair, stressing that what is good for the elite must also be made available for ordinary citizens.

He argued that leaders cannot continue to shield themselves with soldiers, police, and military escorts, yet reject state police on the grounds that governors may use them to rig elections.

“You cannot protect yourself with AK-47 and then come to say that if state police is established in those states, you do not trust governors, that the governors would use those state police as instruments to rig elections. We are not talking about elections. We are talking about the next generation,” he said.

Chrysantus maintained that the priority should be protecting lives and ensuring that citizens can live without fear, adding that without security, the question of elections becomes irrelevant.

According to him, security must not be treated as a privilege enjoyed only by the political class but as a fundamental right that every Nigerian is entitled to.

“Politicians should not come and say, while they are being protected with heavily armed police and military men, that the ordinary citizens back home do not deserve the rights to be protected. They do,” he emphasized.

The Plateau State liaison director urged leaders at both state and national levels to place the survival of citizens above political calculations, saying the need for security goes beyond election matters.

He also stressed that the conversation on state police should be centered on protecting future generations and giving citizens confidence in government efforts to safeguard their lives.

The issue of state policing has remained a contentious debate in Nigeria, with several states pushing for it as a solution to rising insecurity, while others fear it may be misused by politicians.