By Kayode Araba
Thus, the lawmaker representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District, Senator Benson Sunday Agadaga, has expressed strong support for the establishment of state police in Nigeria, describing it as long overdue and necessary to address the country’s worsening security challenges.
This was made known at the brief interview with the press men on the growing debate around decentralizing policing, the senator said the current security situation shows clearly that Nigeria is ready for state policing.
He said the agitation for state police is driven by the need for security operatives who understand the local environment and can effectively respond to threats within their communities.
He also alluded to the fact that state police is long overdue in Nigeria. The agitation of the people is that we should have police officers who understand the environment and can concentrate on the security of the states where they belong
The senator explained that local security personnel would have better knowledge of the terrain, culture, and security dynamics of their areas, making them more effective in tackling crimes such as banditry, kidnapping, and attacks on rural communities and he cited the example of difficult terrains such as the creeks of the Niger Delta, noting that outsiders may struggle to understand the complex waterways and terrain.
Senator Agadaga also said if have your indigenous people handling the security of their communities, they know the environment very well. For instance, someone who is not familiar with the winding creeks in the Niger Delta cannot effectively navigate them.
