Why I Feel ‘Sorry’ For IGP Idris – Agbakoba

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Olisa Agbakoba, has empathized with the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, over his assumed inability to bring the rampant crimes in the country to a halt.

Agbakoba said given the kind of policing structure that is operational in the country, it is impossible for Mr Idris to sit at “the centre” and monitor the country’s entire criminal justice system.

The former NBA president said unless the Federal Government embraces state police, crime will continue to go on in the country unabated.

Agbakoba, who said this in a chat with reporters, equally proposed that governors should be allowed to control but not be able to sack policemen.

He said, “The new momentum for state police is a welcome development. The creation of state police at this critical time is more than necessary.

“You see, I feel sorry for the Inspector-General of Police who have to sit down in Abuja and monitor the entire criminal justice system in Nigeria.

“It is not just possible. There is nowhere in the world where you have the kind of the Nigerian policing structure where everything is controlled from the centre.

“The typical thing is that not only you need the state police to provide adequate security, you also need local government police.

“What we need to do is just introduce into the constitution, regulations that would not allow governors to control the police.

“The governors will not have authority to appoint or dismiss police heads. All these will be guaranteed.

“After all, the judiciary is functioning independently. It is functioning because there is the National Judicial Council in the constitution performing the functions of judicial policies, appointments, dismissals and retirements,’’ Agbakoba said.