Ondo State Government has urged the Federal Government to throw its weight behind the demands for the establishment of state police across the country.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu stated this at the maiden edition of 2022 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ondo Branch, which had the theme, “Insecurity and corruption as a challenge to Nigeria’s democracy” held in Ondo town.
Akeredolu was represented on the occasion by the Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Sir Charles Titiloye.
The governor said a situation where each state of the federation would have a police force of its own would greatly assist in solving the perennial security challenge facing the country.
The Ondo AGF said, “the overwhelming national insecurity cum attacks and sophisticated weapons used by terrorists and criminal elements in the country requires a prompt, efficient, decentralised and localised policing response.”
He praised the Supreme Court for rising to the occasion recently and taking steps to protect the integrity of the court and judiciary as a whole.
Human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Femi Falana, SAN, who spoke on the occasion on the topic ‘The role of the court in electoral process and the time bomb of Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022,’ said it had become imperative for judges and lawyers to save Nigeria’s judicial system, noting that judges and lawyers had vital roles to play in the sanitisation of the judicial system of the country.
Falana said, “We must now get to the stage where lawyers are referred to the disciplinary committee for discipline when it is obvious, particularly, the senior lawyers are trying to ridicule the profession. We must begin to deal with ourselves. Only a few judges up there have the confidence and courage to call a senior advocate to order. So, we must call ourselves to order in this country.
“We, as lawyers, have a duty to save our country. Criminals are apprehended every day by the police. The ministry of justice, I beg you, whenever a criminal suspect is paraded in Ondo, you must contact the Commissioner of Police to ask for the case file and then charge the person to court.”