On Thursday, May 16, the speakers of Nigeria’s 36 state houses of assembly supported the national assembly’s ongoing process of creating state police.
As reported by The Punch, the speakers made their resolution known in a communique issued at the end of the meeting of the conference of speakers of state legislatures held in Abuja on Thursday.
Adebo Ogundoyin, speaker of the Oyo House of Assembly and chairman of the conference, signed the communique.
The speakers said state policing would check the negative trend of insecurity in the country, The Cable reported.
As reported by The Nation, the two chambers of the National Assembly are working to further alter some provisions in the 1999 constitution.
Recall that the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, during a one-day dialogue on the issue in Abuja on Monday, April 22, had rejected the call for state police.
According to him, Nigeria is not mature for state police.
The IGP noted that the establishment of state police would spike ethnic tension, leading to divided loyalty in the states. In a statement released by AIG Ben Okolo who represented him, Egbetokun said the establishment of state police will also lead to multiple command structures across Nigeria.
He believes that the state government does not have enough to fund the type of policing that Nigeria needs.
As an alternative, Egbetokun recommended merging the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to form a department in the force.
According to the speakers, state policing would check the negative trend of insecurity in the country.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that following the spate of insecurity in Nigeria, 16 state governors endorsed the establishment of state police.
The National Economic Council (NEC) disclosed this via a report submitted to it at its 140th meeting held virtually and chaired by the vice president, Kashim Shettima.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
