The Lagos State PDP Chairman, Mr Philip Aivoji, has said that the problem of insecurity bedeviling the nation would be substantially reduced if state police is adopted.
Aivoji made this remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos.
He was reacting to the proposed creation of state police in the ongoing constitutional amendment by the 10th National Assembly.
Aivoji said it would address many of the country’s internal security problems if well managed by states.
The PDP boss, who was recently abducted by kidnappers and later released, said that no efforts should be spared to combat the rising insecurity across states of the federation.
He said, “This call has been on for quite some time now as we look at the growing cases of kidnapping and violent crimes taking place across the country.
“The issue of the state police is a welcome development.
“What I understand by the state police is that we get people in their environment and train them to police people in that locality.
“This is because they know the people in the environment and they can identify those who are natives of the area, and when we have non-natives, they will be able to question such and know where they are coming from.
“So, if it is properly done and handled with all honesty, it will help a lot.”
Speaking on the possibility of state police being abused by state governors, Aivoji said that such tendencies had been responsible for the delay in the general acceptance of the state police.
Noting that the federal police were also being used by party in power against political enemies, Aivoji said that the advantages of state police outweighed the disadvantages.
“To take away the fear of state police being hijacked by political thugs during elections or other contests, we must make sure we get our electoral system right.
“I think the whole state police is fine to cut this menace of insecurity.
“We can come up with our own traditional policing. So, it is good if it is well managed,” Aivoji added.
The state PDP chair, however, called for strengthening existing federal police to ensure effective policing.
