The assistant inspector-general of police in charge of information, communications and technology (ICT) at force headquarters, Benjamin Okolo, has retracted a comment he made that Nigeria is “not ripe” for state police.
AIG Okolo specifically said he wasn’t directed by the inspector-general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, to disagree with the position of former head of state, general Abdulsalam Abubakar and the former president, Goodluck Jonathan who canvassed for state police.
The senior police officer had stated that Nigeria was not “mature” for state police at a national dialogue on state police organised by the house of representatives in Abuja, on Monday.
He had also proposed that the Nigeria security and civil defence corps (NSCDC) and the federal road safety corps (FRSC) should be merged to become a department in the police.
But retracting the comment at a press briefing at force headquarters, Okolo said he only made the comment in his personal capacity to stimulate the discourse, not the official position of the IGP and the police force.
“My expressions on state police at the session held at Abuja Continental Hotel on 22nd April 2024, are my personal opinion to stimulate the discourse. They are not the views of the Inspector-General of Police or the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.
