Sen. Tolu Odebiyi 

                       

The immediate past  representative for Ogun West Senatorial District in the 9th  National Assembly, Senator Tolu Odebiyi says  introduction of 'Regional Police' would provide security agencies with the competitive advantage in  dealing with the current scourge of insecurity ravaging the Country. rather than 'State Police', which he avers might not have the requisite  leverage to tackle the insecurity challenge 


Speaking with newsmen in Abuja,  Odebiyi said the current central policing structure was no longer  effective as killings, abductions, banditry and lawlessness have continued to define daily existence in the land.


He argued that it was incongruous and odd for a Federal state like Nigeria to be practicing a central policing system, as against what was the obtainable norm in existing Federations in the world.


Odebiyi noted that given the vastness of the country and its socio-cultural diversities, Nigeria was overripe for regional police, contending that a regional police structure is better suited and positioned to deal with security issues at the regional and local levels because of the benefit of familiarity with the local environment and confidence it enjoys with the people at the grassroots.


According to him, many police men who operate in the States operate as forces of occupation as they have no attachments or connections to their areas of operation. The zeal to battle criminality, according to the distinguished former lawmaker, is often lacking as a result of this attitude of indifference.


Odebiyi noted  as follows: “The Nigerian Police is doing their best in the circumstance. But that best is not good enough, given the reports of escalating insecurity by the day. The time has come for us to return to regional police structure. The current six geo-political zones would serve this purpose very well. It is my conviction that regional police is better suited to fight the growing cases of kidnappings and banditry in the land.”


Against the background of clamour for State Police, Odebiyi, who is a member of the ECOWAS Parliament stated that it would be abused by the Governors, some of who conduct themselves as emperors. He argued it was better to leave the issue of the policing of the States and grassroots in the hands of regional police under one regional command that is outside the control and manipulation of any single Governor.


He maintained this was the only way  in dealing with great issues of insecurity that have continued to assail our nation.