Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani,
has said the establishment of the state police is not the solution
to the security challenges in the North-West geopolitical zone of
the country.
Sani said the Senate’s assertion that the establishment of state
police would curb kidnapping, armed robbery and banditry in Sokoto,
Kaduna and Zamfara states could not be true.
The Senate took the position following separate motions moved by
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha from Taraba State and his colleague from
Zamfara State, Kabir Marafa.
The ACF’s scribe, who spoke to our correspondent in Kaduna on
Sunday, said rather than the endless clamour for the creation of
state police, the existing police should be adequately funded and
equipped.
Sani argued that until that was done, no one should posit that
the existing police had failed.
He said, “As far as I am concerned, until we have adequate
number of trained police personnel who are well equipped, we cannot
reasonably posit that the Nigerian police have failed to deliver on
the promise of its mandate.
“This is because if the state police are dearth in sufficient
number and ill-trained as well as inadequately equipped, they would
still fail.
“Therefore, let the nation do the needful for the Nigerian
police and watch their performance before any reasonable decision
on alternative option can be taken.”