By Ibrahim Garba
The Inspector of General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, has said that instead of creating a State Police structure, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) should be merged as a Department under the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Egbetokun stated this in his remarks at the National Dialogue on State Policing organised by the House of Representatives in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) held in Abuja on Monday.
Represented by an Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Ben Okolo, the Police boss also said that the yearly police recruitment should be increased by at least 30,000 to meet the United Nations (UN) ratio.
He also called for increased budgetary allocations to the Nigerian Police for effective training of personnel in modern policing to enhance efficiency and amendment of the 1999 Constitution for more empowerment and funding of police which is the lead internal security agency.
Egbetokun noted that if State Police is established, governors will use the structure under their control for political or personal gains undermining human rights and security, adding that
creating state police at the moment will exacerbate ethnic tension in the country.
The Inspector General Police said the agitations for state police were informed by the perception that Police were not leaving up to its responsibility, a development caused by a motley of challenges militating against the Force.
