Kehind Adeleye
The Lagos State House of Assembly has urged the National Assembly to begin a constitutional amendment that would permit the establishment of state police in Nigeria.
They also called for the Neighbourhood Safety Corps to be adequately equipped to assist other security agencies.
Speaker Mudashiru Obasa expressed his concern about the widespread insecurity in the country, he said “At the weekend, we heard of the attack on a commercial bus and the passengers abducted.”
Obasa emphasized the need for state police in light of a recent kidnapping incident in Lagos’ Ikorodu area, citing the overstretched security system in the country.
“This time around the National Assembly should be our focus. They don’t have to wait till the twilight of their tenure to start a constitutional amendment.
“This administration is at the beginning of its four years. So the National Assembly should begin the amendment now and we should be part of it to put an end to the issue of state police,” he said.
The Speaker allayed fears that governors could hijack the state police to their advantage as he said the law should put a system in place to check excesses.
While urging the Lagos government to allocate a specific percentage from the Security Trust Fund to empower and strengthen the Neighbourhood Safety Corps of the state, Obasa said it would be good for the root causes of insecurity to be addressed through effective youth engagement initiatives including sports.
“We must consider factors that lead to insecurity. Poverty – in this period of rising inflation – we can continue bringing relief to our people. Sports has been a very effective tool to take our youth away from crime,” he added.
Mr. Aro Moshood, who represents Ikorodu Constituency II, contributed to the debate by sharing a horrifying account of the recent kidnapping incident in Igbogbo Bayeku, Ijede Local Council Development Area.
He also appealed to the government for improved security surveillance in the area.
The Lawmaker representing Ibeju-Lekki Constituency II, Mr. Ajayi Oladele emphasized the importance of proactive measures by the government.
He expressed concern about the increasing number of people coming into Lagos without proper housing plans.
The Lawmaker representing Mushin Constituency I, Mr. Nureni Akinsanya urged the state government to provide the Neighbourhood Safety Corps with necessary equipment.