Egbetokun contended that state administrations are insufficiently equipped financially and in terms of infrastructure to sustain the level of law enforcement required on a national scale.
The Nigeria Police Force has opposed creating state police, asserting that the country isn't ready for such a system.
During a one-day discussion on state policing, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun expressed concerns that state police would escalate ethnic tensions, potentially fostering divided loyalties within states.
AIG Ben Okolo, representing the Inspector General, further elaborated that implementing state police would introduce multiple command structures, complicating law enforcement efforts.
Additionally, there are fears that state governors could misuse their authority over state police for personal or political gain, risking abuses of power and human rights violations.
Egbetokun argued that state governments lack the funding and infrastructure to support the kind of policing needed at the national level.
According to The Nation, the police chief stated that instead of creating a separate state police force, he suggested combining the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps with the Federal Road Safety Commission to create a new department within the Nigeria Police Force.
He emphasised the importance of recruiting 30,000 police officers every year to fulfil modern policing standards set by the UN, alongside boosting the annual budget allocated to the police force.
