Nigeria needs state police, said Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday.
Sanwo-Olu renewed the call when the Commissioners of the Police Service Commission (PSC), under the leadership of the acting Chairman, Retired Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, paid him a courtesy visit at the Lagos House, Marina.
He said that if governors had this opportunity, they would be better able to keep their oaths to protect the lives and property of the people in their states and to keep peace and quiet there.
The governor promised that his administration would continue to give both domestic and foreign citizens of the state appropriate, first-rate protection.
“We reiterate and seek your cooperation on our collective agitation for a State Police. This is my view and the view of a lot of my colleagues and citizens.
“Giving the age of our democracy, policing at the community level is not only desirable, but it is also important and it is what should be done and what we require.
“We will continue to advocate for State Police. We have said that State Police is not in any form to retrench or reduce whatever the Nigerian Police is doing now.
“There would still be clear responsibility that would be federal in nature; they would still have direct responsibility and oversight to continue to address.
“We also know that if you look at the ratio of policemen to our huge population, we are still far from what it should be.
“So, for us, it is really another level of employment generation; providing what we are sworn to do, which is the protection of life and property; ensuring there is peace and tranquility within our state,” he said.
The governor claimed that the action, which has been advocated at several stakeholder levels, is constitutional.
“The population is growing on a daily basis and we need to be proactive to be able to respond and be able to ensure that we don’t have space for criminal-minded people or people that have other intentions within our own territory,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu praised the efforts of the Lagos Police Command, which is overseen by State Commissioner of Police Abiodun Alabi, and promised that his administration would keep urging the Police to always act morally.
Prior to this, Justice Ogunbiyi praised the security measures taken by the Lagos State government under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
She urged other states in the nation to follow Lagos’ lead in maintaining top-notch security “Lagos is a model of how to handle security situations”.
“The Police are doing a good job in Lagos and they could also replicate in all other states and parts of the country.
“This is basically why we are here, to appreciate the governor and that he should continue with the good work,” Ogunbiyi said.
She claimed that the Police Service Commission would make sure that the Nigeria Police were well-cared for and operated within the bounds of the law.
However, Ogunbiyi asserted that the panel would guarantee that the public had faith in the Police.
