IGP advocates for merger of NSCDC, FRSC with Police

The Federal Government has been urged to combine the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for maximum efficiency.

At the House of Representatives-organized National Dialogue on State Policing on Monday in Abuja, with the topic “Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria,” Inspector General of Police Mr. Kayode Egbetokun offered the suggestion.

Represented by the Assistant Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Mr Ben Okoro, the IG said that the NSCDC and the FRSC were duplications of the police.

Egbetokun, while urging those calling for state police to work toward merging the NCDSC and the FRSC with the police for effectiveness, said that Nigeria was not ripe enough for state police.

He said the police were battling with inadequate training as well as a lack of adequate manpower.

He said that most police barracks were dilapidated due to a lack of maintenance and renovation.

“This has have a negative impact on the performance of the policemen,” he said.

According to him, state police would create avenues for the state governors to use to suppress the opposition in their states.

He claimed that the establishment of state police would also result in the jurisdictional issue, which would give rise to conflicts of interest.

He continued that the state police lack the resources to combat terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry, because they required enormous resources to combat.

In addition, he stated that there was a need to improve the training of personnel to enable contemporary policing, adding that financing was necessary to support and maintain internal security.