Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police, says Nigeria is not “mature” for state police.

Egbetokun spoke on Monday at a national dialogue on state police organised by the house of representatives in Abuja.

The theme of the dialogue is ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria’.

Represented by Ben Okolo, an assistant inspector-general of police, Egbetokun said Nigeria is not ready for a decentralised police force.

“It is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria police force that Nigeria is yet to mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police,” he said.

There have been renewed calls for the establishment of state police following an uptick in kidnappings, banditry and violent attacks across the country.

On February 15, the federal government set up a committee to explore the creation of state police, amid the spate of insecurity in the country.

On February 20, a bill to establish state police passed second reading at the house of representatives.

The IGP said rather than create state police, the challenges mitigating against effective policing in Nigeria should be addressed.

He listed some of the challenges as inadequate manpower, inadequate operational equipment such as vehicles, arms and ammunition, communication equipment, drones, aerial surveillance cameras, security surveillance helicopters, armoured vehicles, and inadequate training of personnel,

He said these challenges have impacted negatively on the performance of police personnel.

He also said state police is open to abuse from powerful state governors.

“Then there is the potential for abuse of power by the state political leadership. State governors could use the police forces under their control for political or personal gain and compromise human rights and security,” he said.

“There would also be a conflict of jurisdiction.”

‘NSCDC SHOULD BE A DEPARTMENT IN THE POLICE’

Egbetokun proposed that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) should merge to become a department in the police.

“In view of this, the police leadership rather is recommending the following instead of creating state police,” he said.

“First, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety to form a department under the Nigerian police.”

He said the recruitment of police personnel into the force should be increased by at least 30,000 annually to meet the United Nations minimum policing standard.

Egbetokun’s stance contrasted with that of Ibrahim Gaidam, minister of police affairs, who backed the establishment of state police.

Gaidam, who spoke at the event, said a more decentralised police force will help tackle the spate of insecurity in the country.

The Kwara state government has temporarily shut the abattoir at Mandate market in Ilorin.

The move follows reports of the sale of meat from 33 cows reportedly killed due to poisoning.

The Kwara Monitoring Group (KMG) made the claim in a statement on Sunday and called for immediate action from the state government.

“Over 33 cows were suspected to be poisoned and died immediately but surprisingly, the dead animals were slaughtered and distributed to butchers to be sold,” the statement reads.

“It happened along Atere Road (that leads to Al Hikma Campus) right inside the College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin.

“It is our prayer that the concerned ministry and agency will take immediate action as nobody knows whose family will end up buying and consuming such poisoned meat being sold in the market.”

Responding to the report, the state government, in a statement signed by Amina El-Imam, commissioner for health, said a team of officials had been deployed to the market, adding that the suspected poisonous beef was seized.

“Kwara State Government officials and experts have arrived at the Mandate Market in Ilorin to activate measures to protect the public amid rumours of poisoned cow meat,” the statement reads.

“On the team were the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Toyosi Thomas-Adebayo; Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam; officials from the Ministry of Environment, including the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency, Mrs Folorunsho Idayat, and officials from the Ministry of Health, including the Permanent Secretary, Alhaja Afusat Ibrahim, and the Director of Public Health, Dr. Oluwatosin Fakayode, among others.

“The government has immediately confiscated all the suspected meats for laboratory tests and confirmation of claims after initial engagements with the Mandate Market stakeholders.

“The government urges members of the public to be calm while the team establishes the truth of the rumour of poisoned meat. It also commends the leadership of the market for their cooperation so far.”

In an updated statement, the Kwara government said the ministry of environment has temporarily shut the abattoir “to allow for fumigation and general cleaning of the area following suspected meat poisoning in the facility”.

“Dr. Abubakar Ayinla, permanent secretary of the ministry, said the steps are part of the efforts to protect members of the public following the incident,” the statement reads.

“The abattoir will be reopened on Wednesday.”

Muhuyi Magaji, chairman of the Kano state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCCAC), says the agency has traced N51.3 billion allegedly diverted by Abdullahi Ganduje, former governor of the state.

Magaji spoke during an interview on Arise TV. He said the funds traced by the anti-corruption commission were half of the over N100 billion meant for LGs in the state.

“The monies were channelled to different local government accounts. They then met with local government staff to create false expenditure with a payment voucher and then diverted the money through a third party,” he said.

“We traced a lot of the diverted funds to various individual accounts at the single market and subsequently took the money in cash to the state government house with someone stationed with a counting machine.

“After that, they changed it to dollars and then took it to certain individuals. We have a bureau de change who will testify that money was sent to him and how it was changed to dollars.

“We have been able to trace over N51.3 billion based on confessional statements and how they were diverted. What we are tracking is well over N100 billion.”

The Kano anti-graft chair added that about 200 people confessed to how the Ganduje-led administration directed them to pad up their expenditure.

“About 200 people confessed to the commission that they took this money and ‘this money that they asked us to write, we purchased a car for hospital, we purchased antigenic drugs…’ it’s all lies.

“We had it and we didn’t even see the money. We only produced the premium. But the cashier confessed to the commission that this money, we have taken it to so-and-so person and that person was invited by the commission.

“He equally confessed that, yes, this person take it to so-and-so. So this is one. We established N51.3 billion.

“So as I’m talking to you now, we have a cogent and verifiable evidence that we are taking to court on this case.”

Magaji also alleged that Ganduje sold a company belonging to the state government at a ridiculous price to the first family of the state.

“The spouse of the former governor, she used to be the secretary of all the accounts that were linked in such particular allegations and the allegations is not all about this 51 billion. Because this 51, as I’m telling you, is virtually, I think it’s 90 percent of it was taken in cash. It’s only been traced. But it was taken in cash,” he added.

“But this one, it is on a particular issue. Whereby, you know, a company belonging to Kano government was sold to a company that belonged to the first family and this first family, all these people you mentioned, they were directors and that, including the person that you just mentioned, visited me in the office and at the same time, the spouse, I mean the wife of the former governor, is the secretary of that account and that company is a cotton ginnery that deals with the ginnery of cotton.

“We have cotton ginnery, we have cotton tannery. All the two companies were sold. But this particular one was sold to his family and under his hand, at the stupid price of, ridiculous price, forgive me, of N320 million. Instead of the bono of the property, which was N2 billion.

“So you see, and even the said N320 million was not remitted. It was only, we were only able to trace. We traced 90 million naira and this 90 million naira, we traced it back to this local government money.”

Magaji concluded that the ultimate goal of investigating Ganduje is to serve as a deterrent to others.

On April 18, Abdulazeez Ganduje, son of the former governor, visited the anti-graft agency to show support for the commission’s case against his dad, mum and brother.

In 2021, Abdulazeez dragged Hafsat Ganduje, his mother, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a bribery and land fraud case.