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The Lagos State House of Assembly has kicked against the position of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olukayode Egbetokun on the establishment of state police.
IGP Egbetokun had in April opposed the call for the establishment of state police because, according to him, it would increase ethnic tension and cause divided loyalty in states of the federation among other misgivings he highlighted.
Alternatively, the IGP suggested that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps be merged with the police force.
However, the speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on Monday, noted that the FRSC and the NSCDC have not been able to solve the problems of accidents on roads and pipeline vandalism respectively.
Obasa wondered how effective they would be if they were merged with the police.
The speaker noted that the state has the Security Trust Fund through which successive administrations have provided enormous support to the police command, but added that despite this, crime of different dimensions has continued.
Obasa argued that based on this observation, Egbetokun’s proffered solution would not address the problem.
He said: “We strongly believe that if we have state police, we would be able to solve the issues of crime in our nation or reduce it to the minimum.
“As we have seen in other climes, the United Kingdom has different levels of policing just like the United States of America. So why should ours be different?
“The lives of our people are very important and we must do everything possible to make sure we protect lives and property. We want to state categorically that we believe in state police and we want to urge the National Assembly to continue with its intendment to establish state police through the process of constitutional amendment.”
Thereafter, he directed the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to write the National Assembly and the IGP, stating that the state lawmakers reject his position.
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