Femi Falana, popular Nigerian Human rights lawyer, has said
that he knows an ex-governor in one of the South West states who had a killer
squad headed by a police officer who was the governor's Chief Security Officer
at the time.
Falana who did not give the name of the said governor,
alleged that one of those ''mowed'' by the governor's killer squad was a
''World Bank Expert''.
The lawyer said this on Monday February 3rd when he spoke at
the maiden memorial public lecture in honour of the late Prof. Olumuyiwa Awe at
the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan.
Speaking on the importance of state police, Falana said;
“Many citizens are opposed to the creation of state police
for the fear that it may be used to haunt political opponents of some state
governors. I know a state governor in the South-West who once had a killer
squad headed by his Chief Security Officer, a police officer.
“One of the unarmed citizens mowed down by the illegal squad
was a World Bank expert. All efforts to prosecute the suspects have been
frustrated by the state government. The story is the same in a few other states
in the country. To that extent the fear of the possible manipulation of state
police is genuine.
“To avoid a situation whereby abuse of police powers is
decentralized, any security service established by state governments should be
democratically controlled. The service will be founded by the state governments
and superintended by an independent state police council of five members. The
members of the council should be accredited representatives of the state
government, labour, women, youths and the business community.
“The service will police the state and see to the enforcement
of all the laws enacted by the House of Assembly. The success of the civilian
Joint Task Force in the counter-insurgency operations in Borno State has proved
that the best way to police a country is to recruit, train and equip young men
and women to operate in their own communities.
“The colonial practice of posting police personnel to
operate outside their states or regions was meant to suppress and intimidate
colonial subjects by strangers. It is a practice which has become
counter-productive in a post-colonial state. Every police officer should
operate in their community, speak the local language and mix freely with the
people.”
