The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi has warned that the establishment of state police may lead to civil war by state actors who flaunt Federal government authorities.
Oba Akanbi in a statement on Monday, May 20, opined that the autocratic governors are likely to abuse the process and also destabilize the existing cooperation amongst the state authorities.
The monarch urged President Bola Tinubu not to approve the creation of state police.
He said: “State policing has a dare consequence and tantamount to lead to civil war by the state actors who flaunt federal government authorities.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not assent to such an inimical proposal capable of undermining the exclusive legislative power of the federal government on security. Our President Tinubu should instead recruit more police officers and improve the welfare package of the Nigerian Police Force.
“Policing is on the exclusive legislative list of the federal government. Creating a state police will destabilize the existing tranquillity and cooperation existing between and among the Nigerian state authorities. Nigeria is not ripe for state policing.”
Meanwhile, the senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, in an article entitled “In Search of a New Police Model,” said the bill seeking to establish the state police must address concerns of abuse by governors.
In April, Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), said Nigeria is not “mature” for state police.
But, Bamidele said the legal framework must set globally acceptable standards for the state police system
Recall that there have been calls for the creation of state police to address the myriad of security challenges in the country, but there are fears that governors could abuse the force.
The Ekiti senator said the state governments should be given the autonomy to determine the timing for establishing their police structures.
“Every state, already prepared for its operationalisation, can go ahead with it without further delay,” he said.
