The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, said the country is not ripe for state policing.
Egbetokun said state policing could result in conflict of jurisdiction between the federal police and the respective state police, amongst others.
He suggested that rather than state policing, the Federal Road Safety Commission ( FRSC) and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) should be merged with the police.
He said: “On the issue of state police, it is the submission of the leadership of the Nigerian Police Force that the country is not yet mature and ready for the establishment of state controlled police.
“In view of this, the police leadership is rather recommending the following, instead of creating state police. First, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Federal Road Safety to form a department under the Nigeria Police; the yearly recruitment of police personnel into the force should be increased by, at least, 30, 000 every year, to meet the United Nations’ minimum standard of policing of 450 citizens to one policeman.”