The Lagos State House of Assembly has faulted the position of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Olukayode Egbetokun, that Nigeria is not ripe for state police.
The House, which faulted Egbetokun’s position through a resolution at plenary on Monday, described the IGP’s position as unacceptable.
The IGP had, at a recently held dialogue on state policing, opposed the establishment of state police.
The IGP had argued that state police would increase ethnic tension and cause divided loyalty in states of the federation.
Mr Egbetokun said instead of creating state police, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSDC, be merged with the police force to enhance policing.
However, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, while speaking during the plenary, said the creation of state would help tackle insecurity in the country.
The Speaker faulted Egbetokun on merger of FRSC and NSCDC with police ,wondering how the two agencies could solve the problem of insecurity when, according to him, they have not been able curb accidents on roads and reduce cases of pipeline vandalism.
“In Lagos State, we have the Security Trust Fund through which successive administrations starting from that of President Bola 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 will not solve our problem. The position of the IGP is unacceptable.
“We strongly believe that if we have state police, we will 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. We want to state categorically that we believe in state police,” he said.
Mr Obasa urged the National Assembly to continue with its effort to pave the way for the establishment of state police through the process of constitutional amendment.
Contributing, Solomon Bonus (APC-Badagry I) argued that with its current structure, it would be difficult for the present Nigeria Police Force to effectively secure the country.
Also declaring his support for state police, another lawmaker, Sa’ad Olumoh (APC-Ajeromi/Ifelodun I), said every 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 I-G 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.
Mr Obasa, after the House had deliberated on the matter, directed the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to write the I-G and the National Assembly, stating the state lawmakers’ rejection of Egbetokun’s position.
NAN
