Those Opposing State Police Are Enemies Of Nigeria – Says Gani Adams

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams has described those opposing the creation of the state police as enemies of Nigeria.

He said such individuals are deriving pleasures from several cases of insecurity across the nation, saying they are doing that at the detriment of the lives of Nigerians they are supposed to protect.

Recall that there had been calls from different quarters for the creation of State Police to tackle insecurity across the nation at the grassroots but some Nigerians said the creation of State Police is not the way out.

However, Gani Adams while speaking in Ibadan at the 2024 edition of Okebadan Festival, lamented that governors get billions of naira as security votes, yet, insecurity across the nation still be of great concern to Nigerians.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to do his best by influencing the National Assembly on the need to amend the Nigerian Constitution to give way for state police.

According to him, it is the responsibility of the president to encourage the National Assembly and influence them to work on the speedy amendments of the Nigerian constitution for it to accommodate state police as a panacea for effective security in the country.

He said: “Whatever security challenges that come from each of the states in Nigeria is a reflection of the burden of leadership at the top.”

“Security of lives and property is one of the major responsibilities of every government, as much as we need state police to take care of security deficits in the country, there is an urgent need for us to amend the constitution to fulfill the demand and yearnings of Nigerians on effective state policing and other issues.”

In his remark, the Oyo state coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr. Rauf Abiola said the State Police is a very viable and welcome ideal particularly in Oyo state.

He maintained that if State Policing will work effectively, there must be involvement of OPCs who will do a lot of intelligent gathering at local levels and haven’t already had close relationships with grassroots and communities.