Nigeria, April 22 -- The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, says Nigeria is not mature to operate state governments-controlled police.

Mr Egbetokun stated this on Monday at the dialogue on state police organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review.

The IGP, who was represented by Ben Okolo, an assistant inspector general of the Nigeria Police Force, said the National Assembly should instead merge the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Commission (NSCDC) as departments under the federal police.

He stated that the police are opposed to the idea of state police but urged the lawmakers to properly fund the existing federal policing structure.

"It is th...