Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police, has rejected the state police notion, saying that governors may abuse the force for political or personal gain, jeopardising human rights and national security.
The IG revealed this during a nationwide conversation on state policing hosted by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Monday under the topic ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria.’
However, the Federal Government vowed that the effort would not be abandoned.
At the ceremony, Vice President Kashim Shetimma reaffirmed the Bola Tinubu administration’s commitment to providing an enabling climate for the development of state police around the country.
The country has been dealing with diverse security issues for several years, with police officials failing to stem the crisis despite the deployment of numerous measures, including military forces around the country.
To address the anomaly, Tinubu and the state governors decided to devise strategies that would culminate in the formation of state police to combat the security situation.
This was one of the agreements struck during an emergency meeting between the President and 36 state governors at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja in February.
So far, the National Economic Council has received comments from around 20 governors expressing their support for state police.
In support of the initiative, on February 20, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill 2023 (Establishment of State Police) HB 617 for a second reading.
cc: Punch Ng
