Badagry killings: Fashola proposes decentralisation of Police

Posted by admin Headlines, Lagos, State News Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Thursday expressed sadness over the killing of policemen in Badagry.

Fashola, therefore, tasked the Federal Government to decentralise the Nigeria Police Force in order to make them more effective and easier to manage.

He also said if soldiers must live in society, they should be ready to obey civil laws.

The governor stated this at the inauguration of the Captain House, the new head office of Crime Fighters.

Fashola, who stressed the importance of the NPF in maintaining law and order in civil society said, “I am very saddened by the killing of the Policemen which took place in Badagry last week. Their welfare, their prosperity and well being require very urgent attention from the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

“I believe that if we pay more attention to this, it would be easier also to ensure that we keep men and officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces in peace time, peacefully and gainfully employed and engaged because their constant interactions and movement into the city, setting up business within the city, outside their barracks, operating transportation outside their barracks and doing all those things, which are part of civil daily lives, can only be subjected to civilian law. When this happens, when the police who is in charge of maintaining civil order, come in contact with them, they are bound to have the kind of clashes and engagement they have.

“I think this is the first step that must be taken. We recognise that members of the armed forces are members of our society but we must enable them to become professional and prosperous so that they do not necessarily veer, while in service, into areas that will bring them in regular contact and friction with civil society and the Police.”

The governor said the National Assembly should make it a priority to decentralise the police.

“A fully centralised Police force is incapable of providing us the kind of security we require,” he said.

-Punchwp_posts