Be Wary Of State Police- Falana ….Narrates How Former Governor In His State Killed Three Prominent Citizens
A Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Barrister Femi Falana SAN, has warned of the dire consequences of allowing governors to have a state police without necessary mechanism for check and balances.
His warnings came on the heels of the alleged misused and high handedness of some state governors with vigilance group.
According to him, Falana says someone was a governor in his home state and his killer squads killed three prominent citizens of the state namely: Dr Ayo Daramola, Engr Fasuba and Ayodele Omojola.
Continuing, Falana asked, ” Someone was a governor in Kaduna State, can you give him state police? Someone was governor in Rivers state, can you give him state police? Someone was also governor in Kogi state, can you give him state police?
Speaking at the fifth annual lecture series of Mr Yinka Odumakin titled :” Can Nigeria’s Democracy Work Without Restructuring?” Falana said there’s already restructuring in place, adding that it only favours the governors.
According to him, late President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 signed a bill that removed the power generation and transmission as well as state control of Correctional Services from the exclusive list to concurrent list, “how many governors have built its Correctional facilities since then?”, he asked.
Falana who argued that ” We already have state police in Amotekun, especially the south West, adding that what’s lacking is the necessary arms and ammunition.
” We already have state police, but what is lacking is that you have Amotekun carrying dane guns to confront bandits with AK 47-49 and other assault rifle.
” What’s more, the Inspector General of Police that was given the mandate to kick-start it set a 5-year timeline to achieve it,” he added.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams who also spoke at the occasion expressed his frustration over non commital attitude of the south west governors to the security of lives and property in the region.
Gani Adams said he has written several letters on the need to work together with the governors, especially in the area of intelligence to complement their efforts to no avail.
While Mr Richard Akinnola said he was disturbed with the incestuous relationship of the Executive and the judiciary, another activist and director at International Press Centre, Comrade Lanre Arogundade warned that we should embraced the idea of the state police with coutious optimism.
Other comrades at the occasion include the widow of Yinka Odumakin, Dr Joe Okei -Odumakin, Comrade Joe Ajaero, Nigerian Labour Congress President, Olumide Fusika SAN, Omoyele Sowore and Agba Jalingo amongst others.
