The Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has called on the Federal Government to support the call for the establishment of state police across the country.
Akeredolu reiterated that each state of the federation, having a police force of its own, would go a long way in solving the lingering security challenge facing the country.
The governor made this call at the maiden edition of 2022 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ondo branch, held in Ondo town, Ondo State.
The event was themed, ‘Insecurity and corruption as a challenge to Nigeria’s democracy.’
Represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Titiloye, the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum 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 commended the Supreme Court for rising up to the occasion recently and taking steps aimed at protecting the integrity of the court and judiciary as a whole.
At the occasion, speaking on the topic, “The role of court in the electoral process and the time bomb of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022,” a human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN), said there was the need for judges and lawyers to save the judicial system, stressing that judges and lawyers have 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 that 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 senior advocates to order. So we must call ourselves to order in this country.”