Police must be decentralized - Senate

Due to the country’s insecurity issues, the senate on Tuesday have called for the de-centralization of the Nigeria Police Force and the introduction of community policing as a way to bring an end to the emerging issues from localities.

This was part of the recommendations tendered to the house by the ad-hoc committee that was set up by the upper Chambers of the senate on Nigeria Security Challenges on January 29, 2020. The leader of the ad-hoc committee that was chosen by the senate house is the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi.

In a statement released by the Senate spokesman, Senator Ajibola Basiru (Osun Central), he disclosed that the committee tendered the recommendations to the house and they were approved by the upper chamber.

The Senate urged the executive to direct the Ministry of Police Affairs and the Inspector General of Police to “decentralize the police command structure with operational and budgetary powers” vested in the zonal commands.

The federal government was also advised by the senate to set up Zonal Security Advisory Committees at each Zonal Command to advise on the security challenges facing each zone.

In the new proposition made by the upper chamber, the composition of the Zonal Advisory Council includes: Governors in the Zone; Zonal AIG of Police; State Commissioners of Police in the Zone; State Directors of the Department of State Security Service; Zonal Immigration Officers; Zonal Customs Officers; and Representative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps in the Zone

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Others are: Representative of the Nigeria Correctional Service in the Zone; Chairmen of State Traditional Rulers Council in the Zone; Faith-based Leaders in the Zone; Civil Society Representatives in the Zone; Representative of Senators from the Zone; Representative of Members of House of Representatives from the Zone; Representatives of Business Community and Labour in the Zone; and any Person or persons deemed to be useful and relevant, taking into account the socio-cultural peculiarities of the zone.

There were recommendations made by the upper chamber as well for the expansion of State Security Council and constitution of Area Command, Local Government and Ward Level Advisory Councils.

The federal government was thereby advised by the senate to implement the policy as soon as possible in order to solve the insecurity challenges the country keeps facing.

The state assemblies were also urged to make necessary laws that will legalize the community policing system at the local government level. Also the upper chamber urged state governors to direct the grants appropriated to each local government to funding the community policing.