State police: Why Nigerians should not be excited yet – Fani-Kayode

Nigerians have been told not to get excited that their clamour for state police will be met under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

This is coming from a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, a known critic of the present administration.

POLITICS TIMES gathered that some online reports including a national daily had claimed the president has given his assent for the creation of state and local governments police.

This led to some Nigerians being cheerful that the insecurity facing the country will soon be brought to an end.

Advising Nigerians to camp their nervous, the former minister said there is no way the incumbent president will implement state policing. He argued that only Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could enforce the creation of state police.

“Pl dont get too excited. Take it from me @MBuhari will NEVER approve or implement state and LGA police for Nigeria and neither will any other Fulani leader with the possible exception of @atiku,” Mr Fani-Kayode said in a tweet on Monday.

“The assertion that he has approved state police is a lie from the pit of hell. A recommendation was made and a ceremony took place.

“Approval and implementation is different to recommendation. This is what they call “taqqiya” meaning “deception”. Give the people the impression that u will do what they want but never actually do it. That is what is going on,” the PDP chieftain added.

The presidential panel on the reform of special anti-robbery squad (SARS), while submitting its report to the president today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, recommended the establishment of state and local government police to tackle the rising insecurity in the country.

The panel, chaired by Tony Ojukwu, executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, was constituted as a result of public outcry on the “human rights violations perpetrated by officers and men of SARS”.

The panel also recommended for a significant improvement in the funding, kitting and facilities of the police force, and strengthening of the information and communication technology of the force.

It called for the institutionalising of a special investigation panel to annually hear and determine complaints on alleged human rights violations against operations of the police.

Responding, the president thanked the panel for their work and directed Mohammed Adamu, the inspector-general of police to meet with the NHRC to work out the modalities of implementing the report within three months from the day it was received.