The Network of Journalists on Indigenous Issues, NEJII, has faulted the Federal Government’s exclusion of Abuja in its planned establishment of State Police.
The Group said Abuja deserves to have local Police drawn from indigenous people in the area whose ancestors owned the land.
The group made this remarks while responding to the statement credited to the Presidency that Abuja, the Federal Capital, would not have State Police.
The Presidency said the FCT will be under the jurisdiction of the Nigeria Police Force which would be renamed the Federal Police Service.
NEJII in a statement signed by its official, Fred Ojinika, said Abuja, though, not a state capital, should not be denied the territory of local Police drawn from Abuja Original Inhabitants, AOIs.
NEJII said security is tied to territorial sovereignty, physical and economic ancestry adding that the position of the Federal Government negates the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“The idea of not having State Police in Abuja is wrong. There are some 2.5million indigenous people in the Federal Capital Territory. There should be State Police in Abuja which should be constituted by indigenous people in the FCT”, NEJII stated in the statement issued on Sunday.
The group howevet called on the Presidency and the National Assembly to reject any proposal that excludes indigenous people from State Policing.
“The Nigerian Government should learn from the police structure in Washington, London and New York.
“The global best practice is for State Capitals to have their own police usually, largely drawn from original inhabitants of the capital city. In the case of Abuja, there are some nine indigenous ethnic groups in the FCT. They should not be denied of this historic opportunity”.
It also stated that the proposed State Police should recognise Abuja Metropolitan Police drawn from indigenous inhabitants of the FCT.
It argued that Abuja Original Inhabitants form the majority of the people in the FCT. They own the land. They are attached spiritually, emotionally and sociologically to the land.