Nigeria not ripe for state police

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has spoken against the establishment of state police in the country. 

While speaking at a one-day dialogue on state policing, Egbetokun said the country was not ripe for such. The police boss said the establishment of state police will execerbate ethnic tension, leading to divided loyalty in the states.

Represented by AIG Ben Okolo, the Inspector General of Police said the establishment of state police will also lead to multiple command structures in the states.

He also said that state governors are likely to abuse the privilege of state police by using it for political gains, leading to possible abuse of power and abuse of human rights.

He argued that the state government lack thereof required funding that will give birth to the type of policing that the nation requires.

Rather than establishing state police, Egbetokun recommend the merging of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Commission to form a department in the Nigeria Police Force.

He also said there is the need for a yearly recruitment of about 30,000 police personnel into the force annually to meet the UN requirements for morden policing, while also increasing annual budgetary allocation to the force.