The Lagos State House of Assembly has kicked against the position of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Olukayode Egbetokun, that Nigeria is not ripe for the establishment of state police.
Speaker of
the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, directed the Clerk of the House, Barr.
Olalekan Onafeko, to write the Inspector-General and the National Assembly
stating that the state lawmakers reject Egbetokun's position.
The event took place at Lagos State House of Assembly
Recall that
the IGP, represented at a recently held one-day dialogue on state policing,
themed, ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria’, opposed the
establishment of state police, arguing that it would increase ethnic tension
and cause divided loyalty in states of the federation.
The IGP also
suggested that the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps be merged with the police force.
However,
speaking at plenary on Monday, Obasa, who noted that the FRSC and the NSCDC
have not been able to solve the problems of accidents on roads and pipeline
vandalism respectively, wondered how effective they would be if they are merged
with the police force.
"In
Lagos State, we have the Security Trust Fund through which successive
administrations starting from that of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu have provided
enormous support to the police command in Lagos State. Yet, crime of different
dimensions has continued.
"This
shows that no matter what Egbetokun has proffered as solution, such won't solve
our problem. The position of the IGP is unacceptable.
"We
strongly believe that if we have state police, just like some other states do,
we would be able to solve the issues of crime in our nation or reduce it to the
minimum.
"As we
have seen in other climes, the United Kingdom has different levels of policing
just like the United States of America. So why should ours be different?
"The
lives of our people are very important and we must do everything possible to
make sure we protect lives and property. We want to state categorically that we
believe in state police and we want to urge the National Assembly to continue
with its intendment to establish state police through the process of
constitutional amendment," Obasa said while praising President Tinubu for
his resolve to end insecurity in the country.
Commending
the Speaker for his stand on the issue of state police, the lawmaker
representing Badagry Constituency 1, argued that with its current structure, it
would be difficult for the Nigeria Police Force to effectively secure the
country.
Also
declaring his support for state police, another lawmaker, Hon. Sa'ad Olumoh
(Ajeromi/Ifelodun 1), said each Nigerian state currently has a local security
outfit in the semblance of state police.
"Today,
which state does not have state police one way or the other? This is a cause
that should be supported. For the IG to come out and say state police is not in
the interest of Nigeria shows he is not considering the reality of insecurity
on Nigerians," he said.
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