Nigeria needs state police to stem kidnapping, other crimes — Traditional ruler

News Agency Of Nigeria

July 7, 2019 6:45 PM

Oba Kabiru Adelaja, the Osolo of Isolo, says Nigeria needs to go for state police, as an effective means to reduce the crime rate in the country.

Nigerian police officers/Image used for illustration (Vanguard)

Adelaja gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

The traditional ruler said that with state police, it would be faster to respond to emergencies and distress situations.

Adelaja said that the crime rate in Nigeria was on the increase, particularly in terms of kidnapping, herdsmen/farmers disputes, ritual killing, armed robbery and highway robberies, among others, which needed to be tackled decisively.

He said he was in support of the adoption of community policing in the country, but complementing it with state police would help to improve the security situation.

“I am very much in support of community policing because it is the best way to stop some of this identified crimes in the society.

“We know ourselves and almost everywhere in our community. If there is any crime in our community, members or indigenes of the community know where to go.

“They know almost every part of the community and how to identify their people,” the monarch said.

He, however, said that with state police, even officers in the state would be very familiar with their terrain and know how to nip problems in the bud and stem crime quickly.

“Imagine how long it will take a security officer who is a non-indigene to understudy the new place he is posted to, compared to a person born in the state and posted to one of the areas in his state.

“We all know that if there is any problem, he knows what to do, who to call and how to quickly solve the problem of that area before it escalates.

“For example, in a situation where kidnap occurs, the state police know where to look with the support of members of the community like farmers, fishermen and others, who know the nooks and crannies of the community, ’’ the monarch said.

He urged the federal government to do more in checking the excesses of herdsmen, which according to him, was on the increase,

“They are almost everywhere now and if you want to travel, you have to fast and pray so as not to fall victim of violence or kidnap.

“Lives and properties of the people are no longer safe, the federal government should do something reasonable quickly, rather than allow them to operate freely,” the traditional ruler said.

ALSO READ: Police release Senator Abbo after meeting bail conditions

He reiterated the commitment of other royal fathers to fighting crime in their domains.

According to him, the fact that traditional rulers are not talking does not mean they are not working in the background on how to tackle crimes.

The monarch urged the federal government to be more decisive the dealing with criminals in the country.

News Agency Of Nigeria