Some residents of Tunga-Maje community in Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, have called on the Federal Government to implement state police as a means to reduce the increasing rate of insecurity in the country.
The residents made the call in Gwagwalada on Friday, following the abduction of 10 victims in the early hours of Thursday in the community.
The police, through its spokesperson, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, on Thursday confirmed that its operative rescued five out of ten kidnapped victims after a heavy gunfire with some bandits in the community.
However, Mr Simon Tika, a resident of the community said that with state police, it would be faster to respond to emergencies and distress situations in every society.
Tika said that the crime rate in the country was on the increase, particularly kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery among others, adding that the security challenges needed to be tackled decisively.
“Introducing state police will enhance the understanding between the policed and the police in every community.
“In as much as the current policing system is unifying Nigerians, the government should add another tier of policing, which is state police,” he said.
Another resident, Peter Yohana, said he was in support of the adoption of community policing in the country, adding that complementing it with state police would help to improve the security at the grassroots.
Yohana maintained that the solution to security challenges in the country was to establish a comprehensive state police structure, to help in reducing crimes.
“Due to the frequent kidnapping incidents and other security challenges in the country, there is the need for the country to have state or community police.
“There is need for the Federal Government to introduce state police, to reduce the rise of killings and kidnapping in the country,” he said.
On her part, Mrs Deborah David, said for proper protection of lives and property, there was need to have people within the locality to be part of effective policing.
According to her, there was need to also reform and reposition the Nigeria Police Force from the Federal down to the Local Government level to improve security in the country.