On Thursday, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reiterated the necessity of setting up state police in Nigeria.
When the Commissioners of the Police Service Commission (PSC), under the leadership of the acting Chairman, Retired Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, paid him a courtesy visit at the Lagos House, Marina, Sanwo-Olu renewed the call.
He claimed that by doing this, governors would be better able to uphold their oaths to safeguard the lives and property of their constituents and to maintain peace and tranquilly inside their states.
The governor promised that his administration would continue to give both domestic and foreign citizens of the state appropriate, first-rate protection.
”We reiterate and seek your cooperation on our collective agitation for a State Police. This is my view and the view of a lot of my colleagues and citizens.
”Giving the age of our democracy, policing at the community level is not only desirable, but it is also important and it is what should be done and what we require.
”We will continue to advocate for State Police. We have said that State Police is not in any form to retrench or reduce whatever the Nigerian Police is doing now.
”There would still be clear responsibility that would be federal in nature; they would still have direct responsibility and oversight to continue to address.
”We also know that if you look at the ratio of policemen to our huge population, we are still far from what it should be.
”So, for us, it is really another level of employment generation; providing what we are sworn to do, which is the protection of life and property; ensuring there is peace and tranquillity within our state,” he said.
The governor said the move was constitutional and has been pushed at various stakeholders’ levels.
”The population is growing on a daily basis and we need to be proactive to be able to respond and be able to ensure that we don’t have space for criminal-minded people or people that have other intentions within our own territory,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu, who commended the work of the Lagos Police Command led by the State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, said his administration would continue to encourage the Police to do what was right at all times.
Speaking earlier, Justice Ogunbiyi commended Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration on the issue of security, as security remained top-notch in Lagos State.
She called on other states in the country to emulate Lagos’ security situation, which he said was top-notch, as ”Lagos is a model of how to handle security situations”.
”The Police are doing a good job in Lagos and they could also replicate in all other states and parts of the country.
“This is basically why we are here, to appreciate the governor and that he should continue with the good work,” Ogunbiyi said.
She said that the Police Service Commission would ensure that the Nigeria Police worked within the ambit of the law and ensure that they were well looked after.
Ogunbiyi, however, said that the commission would make sure the community had confidence in the Police.