The Inspector of General of Police, IGP, Olukayode Egbetokun, has proposed the merger of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as a Department under the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as against establishment of State Police.
Egbetokun stated this during the National Dialogue on State Policing organized by the House of Representatives in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) over the establishment of state police in the country.
The IGP who was represented by an Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Ben Okolo, added that the yearly police recruitment should be increased by at least 30,000 to meet the United Nations (UN) ratio to combat insecurity in the country.
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.
He identified some of the challenges as inadequate manpower, inadequate operational equipment; arms and ammunition, surveillance equipment, inadequate training due to poor funding as well as inadequate office and barracks accommodations.
“The police leadership is recommending the following instead of creating state police; merging the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Federal Road Safety Corps as a Department under the Nigeria Police
“Yearly of police recruitment should be increased by at least 30,000 to meet the United Nations requirements. Increase in the budgetary allocations to the Nigerian Police Force. Effective training of personnel in modern policing to enhance efficiency”.
Similarly, the Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Geidam, observed that while State Police was essential local security, it has the potential for political interference and human rights abuse.
“Establishment of state police is not without its demerits; one of them is political interference. Oversight and accountability are paramount and must be put in place to ensure the interference is reduced. An implementation roadmap is essential for successful operation.”