Ibn Na’Alla flays FG’s deployment of 30,000 policemen for poll

•Senate passes police repeal bill into second reading
Senate Deputy Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Alla, yesterday chided the Federal Government for deploying as many as 30,000 policemen for Ekiti governorship election.

The lawmaker, representing Kebbi South Senatorial district, stated this in his lead debate on the bill to repeal the Police Act.

He queried the rationale for such massive deployment of armed security operatives, while herdsmen and bandits subject other parts of the country to wanton killings and destruction of properties.

The deputy senate leader expressed concern that the executive rushed to over-police the scheduled poll, as if it was a war zone.

He lamented the over 30,000 police deployment to Ekiti, while in Zamfara State, not even 3, 000 policemen were deployed to maintain peace, where herders have killed scores of people.

“APC is our party and I represent my senatorial district on its platform, but it is not in our character to draft such a huge number of policemen for elections.

Meanwhile, a bill for an act to repeal the police act has passed the second reading.

Na’Alla sponsored the bill, titled: “A bill for an Act to Repeal the Police Act cap P18 LFN 2004 and enact the Police Reform and for related matters 2018 (SB. 682).”

According to him: “It is quite unfortunate that the Nigeria Police have conditioned their minds to do what he called “korokoro eye service.”

The bill is seeking to protect the rights and freedom of persons, as envisaged in the 1999 constitution as amended.

It is also seeking to establish a service-oriented modern police that would meet globally acceptable policing standards in a democratic setting.

It is expected to replace the current police force, which was conceptualized and established in the colonial environment more to protect the colonial masters’ interest, than to protect and safeguard the Nigerian citizen.

In his lead debate, Na’Allah said: “The philosophy of the bill goes to the conceptualization of the police as a service, in which the people and communities are core stakeholders, and people come first.

“This is against the police as a force, which stood apart from the people that it set out to protect and safeguard.

He explained that when the bill is passed into law, it would replace the Police Act, which came into effect on April 1, 1943 with all its subsequent amendments.

“We cannot envisage any meaningful reforms of the Nigeria Police without first and foremost, reforming the legal infrastructure under which it operates.
“The bill is therefore that crucial step to reforming the Nigeria Police to make it amenable to the demands and expectations of our independent, democratic country,” he said.