By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
IG warns against state police amid FG’s persistence
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has rejected the state police proposal, warning that the governors can abuse the outfit for political or personal gains and compromise human rights and national security.
The IG stated this at the national dialogue on state policing organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja, on Monday, with the theme, ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria.’
However, the Federal Government insisted there was no going back on the initiative.
At the event, Vice President Kashim Shetimma reiterated the Bola Tinubu administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for the establishment of state police across the country.
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The nation has been grappling with multifaceted security challenges for the past years with the police authorities unable to roll back the crisis despite the deployment of various strategies, including the military forces across the country.
To address the anomaly, Tinubu and the state governors agreed to come up with modalities that would culminate in the creation of state police to tackle the security crisis.
This was part of the agreements reached at an emergency meeting between the President and 36 state governors at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja in February.
So far, about 20 governors have submitted reports expressing their support for state police to the National Economic Council.
In furtherance of the move, the House of Representatives on February 20, 2024, passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill 2023 (Establishment of State Police ) HB 617 for a second reading.
IG opposes initiative
The IG, represented by Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ben Okolo, at the security summit, called for solutions to the challenges confronting the Nigeria Police Force to enable it to serve the people better.
He said, “On the issue of state police, it is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force that the country has yet to mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police.
“There is the potential for abuse of power by the state political leadership. State governors could use the police forces under their control for political or personal gain and compromise human rights and security.”
Okolo stated that instead of establishing state police, “The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Federal Road Safety Commission should form a department under the Nigerian police.’’
Responding to the IG’s arguments, the Vice President, who represented President Tinubu, affirmed that the state police initiative was not timely.
“This government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu is acutely aware of the complex security issues that abound in places. As such, we are continually developing methods to address these challenges effectively.
“The President believes that the path to effective security is through adaptive reforms catering to our diverse situations and circumstances. This can only be achieved by carefully reviewing various options,” the VP stated.
IG warns against