A first-class monarch in Ogun State, the Eselu of Iselu kingdom, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, has rejected the proposition for the establishment of state police in Nigeria, saying the country is not yet ripe for decentralised policing.
The monarch backed the position of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun on the establishment of state police, arguing that the existing police force should be rather reformed.
The IG, at a national dialogue on state police organised by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, had opposed the establishment of state police, saying the “state governors could use the police forces under their control for political or personal gain and undermine human rights and security.”
Egbetokun represented by AIG Ben Okolo, added that, states do not have the resources to support state police.
Okolo later made a U turn, saying the stance on the state police was his and not that the position of the IGP.
Speaking on the development, Oba Akinyemi expressed the fear that the state governors may hijacked the apparatus of state police to intimidate and victimise members of the opposition parties in their states.
Oba Akinyemi spoke in an interview with journalists at the sideline of his birthday ceremony, held in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital.
The traditional ruler argued that if the existing police force is well equipped, funded and motivated, it will be better positioned to fight insecurity and other criminal activities confronting the country.
“I agree with the IG that that Nigeria is not ripe for state police because when you see it the US you will know that it is policing that has to do transparency, equity, accountability and zero corruption, but in Nigeria today, if you are an APC member and the governor is PDP, the police will act according to the instructions of the governor where they will be victimising those in the opposition party.
“So, I think we still need to practise democracy more even before we talk about police, let them give us stable electricity because we are in a computer age, nobody goes around and start stopping vehicles to detect criminals.
“The President should look into giving adequate equipment, finance and insurance to the existing police before decentralising it to the states”, the monarch said.
Oba Akinyemi also called on President Bola Tinubu to dialogue with Yoruba nation agitators and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and carry them along in his administration’s programmed and policies.
“The most important thing is the rules of engagement where you (President Tinubu) tell them (agitators) the workings of his manifestos and they will understand that Bola Tinubu meant good for the country and SouthWest in particular”, he said.