Senate Questions Deployment of 30,000 Policemen In Ekiti, Calls For Reform

NASS

The Senate has questioned the number of policemen deployed to the forthcoming Ekiti Governorship election slated to hold on Saturday.

During plenary on Tuesday, Deputy Majority Leader, Bala Ibn Na’allah said that “It is not acceptable for public funds to be used to deploy 30,000 policemen for the Ekiti election while the government could not moblise 10,000 policemen to stop the killings in Plateau and Zamfara states.

The Deputy Majority Leader is sponsoring a bill to repeal the Police Act and establish a Police which will protect the rights and freedom of Nigerians.

The bill outlines the roles and duties of the police hierarchy to avoid role conflict and introduces a responsibility clause to make the police more effective.

The bill seeks to establish a community police forum and boards in all the states to ensure effective and participatory community policing.

The bill provides for the bail of persons arrested without a warrant to the effect that such persons shall not be kept in police detention for more than 24 hours without being charged to court.

The move comes amid several calls by Nigerians asking for the revamping of the nation’s security system, including the police to enable the lives of Nigerians are rightfully protected and stop the brutality and extrajudicial killings melted on innocent ones.

Recently on July 4, 2018, a policeman shot and killed a serving NYSC member, Linda Igwetu in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The conversation in the country in the last few days has been on the establishment of state and community police to address some of the security challenges confronting the country.

In the event the constitution is amended to allow for the creation of state police, reforming the Nigeria police is still necessary as not all state governments may agree to have state police.

The Deputy Majority Leader is, therefore, calling for an urgent need to reform the Nigerian Police.