FORMER Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, has disagreed with state governors and others canvassing for state police, saying it would not help the nation.
Meanwhile, former Edo State Commissioner for Information, Chief Charles Idahosa, weekend, said state police was the only solution to security challenges facing the nation, noting that those against the creation of a state police were being economical with the truth.
Idahosa, a chieftain of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and Political Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, argued that contrary to insinuations that state governors will use the state police to intimidate their opponents, it was the Federal Government that was using the force to intimidate governors, who are not members of their party.He said: "Lawrence Anini was the most dangerous criminal Nigeria had ever produced. He defied all security arrangements made at the time by the Federal Government. But at a point, the police hierarchy and former Military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), assembled all the police officers from Benin and drafted them to Benin.
"Parry Osayande, current Chairman of the Police Service Commission; Irabor, Aghedo and others, were brought to Benin to fish out Anini and they succeeded. So we should not be deceiving ourselves with this talk that governors will use it to victimise their opponents."
However, Okiro faulted calls for state police. He spoke to Vanguard in Warri, Delta State, at the meeting of South-South Peoples Assembly, SSPA.
The ex-police boss said: "State police cannot help the country. We have tried it before in this country under the regional governments and it did not work."
He said the British colonialists also saw it as unfeasible and that was why they went for central policing.
Okiro said: "It is clear that state governors will misuse it if we go back to state police. They will use it against their political opponents and I think in a democracy, people should be given the freedom to exercise their rights."
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