The Nigeria Police Force said Nigeria is not yet ready for the establishment of state-controlled police.
ByBakare Majeed
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, says Nigeria is not mature to operate state governments-controlled police.
Mr Egbetokun stated this on Monday at the dialogue on state police organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review.
The IGP, who was represented by Ben Okolo, an assistant inspector general of the Nigeria Police Force, said the National Assembly should instead merge the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Commission (NSCDC) as departments under the federal police.
Participants-at-the-National-Dialogue-on-state-police
He stated that the police are opposed to the idea of state police but urged the lawmakers to properly fund 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,” Mr Egbetokun said.
He also argued that state policing would further exacerbate the existing ethnic tension in Nigeria. The speech was met with jeers and loud protests from the audience, who booed Mr Okolo.
Mr Egbetokun’s position is against the publicly expressed stance of Mr Tinubu on state policing.
The President in February met with state governors in Abuja during which they considered “the possibility of setting up state police.”
Former military ruler, Abdulsalam Abubakar and former President Goodluck Jonathan at the state police dialogue
‘Kashim Shettim, GSM’ —Embarrassing error from the AIG
Mr Okolo’s speech started on an embarrassing note as he fumbled the title of Vice President Kashim Shettima by referring to him as “GSM” instead of GCON (Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger).
The error from the senior police officer elicited laughter from the audience. Despite the laughter, the police officer could not correct himself on the spot. Mr Okolo continued with his speech but later corrected himself and tendered an apology to Mr Shettima.
“I did not acknowledge the Vice President properly in the opening of the speech…” Mr Okolo said as the hall erupted in laughter.
Even the Vice President could not help himself as he joined in laughing over the gaffe by the police officer.
