FG Should Merge NSCDC, FRSC With Police – IG

The Federal Government has been advised to merge the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for effectiveness.

The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, gave the advice at the National Dialogue on State Policing, organised by the House of Representatives on Monday in Abuja with the theme “Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria.”

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 said creating state police would also lead to the problem of jurisdiction, which would bring about conflicts of interest.

He added that the state police would not be able to combat terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry, because they required enormous resources to combat.

He also said that there was a need to improve the training of personnel to enable modern policing, adding that funding was necessary to also help maintain internal security.