Governor says police, NSCDC and other federal security institutions report to Abuja, not the state government

Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, has said his constitutional designation as the state’s chief security officer does not give him direct control over major security agencies operating in the state.

Bago made the clarification while responding to questions about the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners reportedly held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The governor was asked whether the Niger State Government shared responsibility for the deaths and whether the incident could have been prevented.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Bago explained that although governors are commonly referred to as chief security officers of their respective states, key federal security institutions do not report directly to them.

“Yes, definitely. You know, I’m just a chief security officer of the state by mouth. The NSCDC don’t report to me. The police don’t report to me. The ministry don’t report to me. They report to the centre,” Bago said.

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He said the situation limits the state government’s ability to exercise direct control over federal security facilities and operations within Niger State.

“We don’t have much control about federal government facilities, especially detention centres, and there are also police stations and even civil defence stations,” he added.

State intervenes when complaints are made

The governor, however, said the state government does not completely stay away from security-related complaints.

According to Bago, the government steps in when civil society organisations, members of the public or other relevant bodies bring specific complaints to its attention.

“But when we have issues or complaints by civil society organisations, we step in and we try to intervene,” he said.

He explained that the state government may become aware of alleged unlawful detention or other concerns when such matters are formally reported to relevant government institutions, including the Ministry of Justice or Ministry of Women Affairs, or when the courts issue orders concerning the cases.

“But most of the times, nobody even knows who is arrested unless there are complaints that are brought in before Ministry of Justice or Ministry of Women Affairs on unlawful detention or otherwise, or the Court of Laws to give order,” Bago said.

Questions over responsibility

The governor’s comments come amid concerns surrounding the reported deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners while in NSCDC custody.

The incident has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the deaths, the responsibilities of the different levels of government and whether stronger coordination between state authorities and federal security agencies could have prevented the tragedy.

Bago’s position is that the state government’s constitutional designation as the chief security officer does not translate into operational command over agencies such as the police and NSCDC, which are federal institutions and report to authorities at the centre.

The governor nevertheless acknowledged that the state government has a role to play when complaints are formally brought before it, particularly where allegations of unlawful detention or other violations require government or judicial intervention.

The controversy has consequently placed renewed attention on the relationship between state governments and federally controlled security agencies, particularly in situations involving detention facilities and security operations within the states.