The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has faulted the state police bill, stating that Nigeria is not mature for state police. Egbetokun spoke at a national dialogue on state police organized by the Nigerian House of Representatives in Abuja.
He said Nigeria is not ready for a decentralized police force, citing challenges such as inadequate manpower, inadequate operational equipment, and inadequate training of personnel.
He proposed that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) should be merged to become a department in the police instead of creating state police. This, he believes, will address the issue of duplication of duties and improve the overall efficiency of the police force.
Egbetokun’s stance on the state police bill has sparked a debate among stakeholders, with some arguing that decentralization is the way forward, while others believe that the current police structure needs to be strengthened before any changes can be made.
