Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has called for the establishment of state police to curb crime in the country.
Mr Ajimobi made the call at the inauguration of the Oyo State Safe City Control Centre aimed at improving the security network in the state.
“As important as concepts such as democracy is, go around the world and see the best of democracies, there is none of them without its state police, all the states in America, France and other countries.
“State police will be staffed with people from the local communities where they have deep knowledge about the terrain and the inhabitants therein. That is why no crime goes unsolved in the western world,” Ajimobi said.
He added that the control centre was one of his administration’s efforts to ensure the restoration and sustenance of peace in the state.
“Our immediate effort in 2011 at stopping crime and criminal tendencies yielded positive results as our special security outfit was instituted.
“If we have not achieved anything since we came on board, we have achieved peace and security which is the major purpose of government,” he said.
He said that the efforts accounted for the state being ranked as one of the most peaceful, adding it was also adjudged one of the five topmost states in the Ease of Doing Business by Nigeria Bureau of Statistics.
Commissioner of Police in the state Abiodun Odude commended the governor for his support to security agencies, adding that this had made their work easier.
The control centre is the hub for the close circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in some parts of Ibadan metropolis such as Sango, Mokola and Challenge.
