…Commends Tinubu, State Governors
As the federal government and the 36 state governors mull the creation of state police, the groundswell of support for state police is increasing as some notable Nigerians continue to support the idea. Latest among them is the eminent technocrat and corporate chieftain Dr. Ernest Ndukwe who described the creation of state police as a step in the right direction towards enhancing security in Nigeria.
Ndukwe, who is the chairman of MTN Nigeria, commended President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state governors for agreeing on the need to establish state police. He urged them to remain steadfast and ensure the crystallization of the idea in the shortest possible time. To him; the current parlous security situation in the country needs to be tackled firmly and comprehensively, and the creation of state police will help stem the increasing spate of criminality in the country. He therefore enjoined both the government and the people to join hands to bring to fruition the idea of state police.
Ndukwe contended that state policing will increase the numerical strength of security personnel saddled with the responsibility for internal security. He bemoaned the current situation in Nigeria where there is only one federal police force with a total strength of less than one million personnel. He emphasised that state police will not only increase the over all number of police officers in the country but will ensure that officers of the state police force will operate in their own localities or in very familiar territories which will help to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency.
Mindful of the often-expressed fears in some quarters about the possible misuse of state police by the sub-national political authorities, Ndukwe advocated for laws and stringent operational guidelines to curb such likely excesses. He submitted that state policing will ensure that virtually every inch of Nigerian soil will be protected unlike the present situation where there abound a lot of ungoverned spaces that are often converted by bandits as the operational bases for their nefarious activities.
