Former Assistant Inspector-General of Police (IG), Ambrose Aisabor, says it is time to embrace state police to check the security situation in the country.
Aisabor made the call in an interview on Sunday in Benin.
According to him, the failure of the Federal Police System to address insecurity necessitated the need for a decentralised police.
He explained that the debate whether or not Nigeria should go for state police has been on the front burner in the country with many Nigerians urging the government to embrace it.
“The security situation in the country is getting worse on a daily basis.
“When is Nigeria going to be ripe for state police? The main argument is that state governors will misuse the outfit; but police are susceptible to misuse at every level of government.
“So many civilised countries are practicing multilevel policing. There are always safeguards for checks and balances.
“When you look at what we are having now, most of the police requirements are already being borne by the various state governments.
“Apart from salaries and allowances which the federal government is responsible for, other logistics needs of the police are being handled by governors,” he said.
He explained that even the community policing that is being set up could only thrive well under the states.
“You cannot control community policing from Abuja; the states are closer to the people than Abuja”.
He noted that many of these countries already practicing multilevel policing were enjoying the benefits.
According to him, they do not have policing at the state level alone, they also have at the local, educational and big companies level.
He stated that the chances of any IG supporting the idea is slim for an obvious reason bothering on loss of power and control.
“So we should understand the position of the IG. The time for the establishment of the state police is now,” said the former police chief.