The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has highlighted the need for the establishment of state police across the country.
Wike said the creation of state police would help to resolve the current insecurity facing the country, stressing that the present security structure makes it difficult for the Federal Police to respond quickly to security challenges.
Speaking when the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Ms. Agnes Callamard, visited him at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the governor said: “We believe that there should be state police for us to effectively fight crime in the country.
“Our system is fashioned towards the United States, which has Federal, State and Local Police. Each of them has their responsibilities. In the present situation, if a crime is committed, the Commissioner of Police will first report to the Inspector General of Police, before taking any action.”
The governor also stated that his administration established the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency to support security agencies with information, but the agency was frustrated for political reasons.
“We established the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency which would have helped the security agencies with information, but it was politicised by the Federal Government when they sent the Army to ensure that it did not come to fruition.
“If the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency was allowed, probably we would have solved part of the security problems,” he added.
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