From Lateef Taiwo
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun has kicked against the creation of State Police in Nigeria claiming that the country is not yet mature enough to handle issues arising from such policing.
IGP made his position know on Monday in Abuja during the National Dialogue on state police organized by the House of Representatives with the theme: Pathways to Peace:Reimagining Policing in Nigeria”.
Speaking during the event, IGP who was represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Ben Okolo, maintained that instead of the creation of the state Police, government should rather merge the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to enable it address all insecurity lapses in the country.
He emphasized the need for adequate funding for the existing federal policing structure.
“It is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force that Nigeria is yet to mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police,” stated Egbetokun, citing concerns about potential ethnic tensions and the risk of political manipulation of state police forces.
Many Nigerians at the event began to wonder how the IGP should not have supported the creation of the state police considering enormous insecurity challenges in the country.
While some agencies advocate for maintaining a centralized federal police force President Bola Tinubu among other high profile leaders past and present have publicly supported the idea of state policing in the country.
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