Insecurity: ‘Set Aside’ Constitution To Create State, LG Police Now, Says Afenifere

The pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has again expressed worry about the festering insecurity in Nigeria.

The group said insecurity is no longer limited to a particular region of the country, saying rampaging criminals were moving from place to place destroying lives and property while kidnapping the rich and the poor for ransom.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, in a response to our correspondent’s inquiry said the solution to the security challenge was for the country to allow creation of state and local government police to address the issue.

He said these police structure would complement the efforts of the existing security agencies in tackling the monster of insecurity ravaging the country.

While advocating restructuring, the Afenifere chieftain said it would allow for the creation of state and local government police and would also address some other problems which had held down the country for many years.

He said, “The solution to the problem of insecurity is to restructure the country immediately. But, while restructuring process is going on, state and local government police must be allowed promptly.”

He added that when the process of restructuring is still in progress, Nigeria should invoke the “doctrine of necessity” to address the section of the Constitution which vested the Federal Government the absolute power on the police.

“The situation in the country has reached the point where we should invoke what can be regarded as ‘doctrine of necessity’ in reference to the constitutional provision that vests the police exclusively in the Federal Government.

“That section must be set aside so that we can have state and local government police immediately,” he said.

Terrorists and other criminals have become more daring in recent times killing in large numbers and abducting Nigerians at will living the helpless citizens frustrated.

Many Nigerians have suggested creation of state police as a solution to the growing insecurity however, President Muhammadu Bihari in his interview aired on Channels Television ruled out creation of state police.