The Ondo State Government has called on the Federal Government to support the call for the establishment of state police across the country.
The State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Sir Charles Titiloye, who represented Governor Akeredolu, made this call at the maiden edition of 2022 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ondo Branch, held in Ondo town.
He reiterated that each state of the federation, having a policy of its own, would go a long way in solving the lingering security challenge facing the country.
The event was themed, “Insecurity and corruption as a challenge to Nigeria’s democracy.”
The 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 commended the Supreme Court for rising 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 the court in 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 a need for judges and lawyers to save the judicial system of the country, stressing 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.”
