Policemen meant to combat crime are carrying bags for VIPs’ wives — El-Rufai

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai

Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has again criticised the security system in the country, saying policemen who should be fighting crime are involved in non-police duties.

The governor urged the National Assembly to see to the amendment of the constitution to give states control of the police.

“We’ve always made a very strong argument that one centralised police in a federation does not work. Nigeria is the only country in the world that is a federation that has only one police force,” El-Rufai said on Monday night on Channels Television’s Police Today.

“We have made the argument that states should be allowed to have their own police and that even local governments should be allowed to have their own community policing.

“The number of policemen we have in Nigeria is inadequate; it is less than half of what we need and a lot of them are engaged in non-police duties like carrying the handbags of the wives of very important people.”

The Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu had earlier in the month ordered the withdrawal of police personnel attached to 60 VIPs.