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The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has rejected the call for state police.
According to him, Nigeria is not mature for state police.
Egbetokun stated this on Monday at a national dialogue on state police organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja.
The theme of the dialogue is ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria’.
Egbetokun, who was represented by Ben Okolo, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, said Nigeria is not ready for the establishment of state police.
“On the issue of state police, it is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that Nigeria is not yet mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police.”
The IGP also claimed that state governors were 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.
“State governors could use the police forces under their control for political or personal gain and undermine human rights and security. There would also be a conflict of jurisdiction,” he noted.
The police boss maintained that there was the need for a yearly recruitment of about 30,000 police personnel into the Force annually to meet the UN requirements for modern policing, while also increasing annual budgetary allocation to the Force.
Rather than establishing state police across the country, the police chief recommended merging the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Commission to form departments in the Nigeria Police Force.
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