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.
It would be recalled that the IGP, represented at a recently held one-day dialogue on state policing, had opposed the establishment of state police, arguing that it would trigger ethnic tension and cause divided loyalty in states of the federation.
However, speaking at plenary on Monday, Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, noted that having state police would reduce the issues of crime to the barest minimum.
He said that if countries like the United Kingdom and the United States could have different levels of policing, of Nigeria would not be different.
Obasa urged the National Assembly to continue with its plans to establish state police through the process of constitutional amendment.
The speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to write to the IGP and the National Assembly stating that the state lawmakers rejected Egbetokun’s position.
“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, the crime of different dimensions has continued.
“This shows that no matter what Egbetokun has proffered as a solution, such won’t solve our problem. The position of the IGP is unacceptable.
“We strongly believe that if we have state police, 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,” a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Eromosele Ebhomele, quoted him as saying.
Declaring his support for state police, Sa’ad Olumoh, a member representing 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.
‘Your Solution Can’t Solve Our Problem’ — Lagos Assembly Knocks IGP Over Position On State Police is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
