The Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Agya, has commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as bold steps toward the establishment of state police, saying the initiative is crucial to tackling rising insecurity across the country.
Justice Agya made the remarks on Saturday night during a dinner and fundraising ceremony for the Justice Joel Agya Bar Centre Project organised by the Wukari Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Wukari.
He said the creation of state police had become imperative in view of the growing wave of criminal activities nationwide, noting that locally recruited officers would be better equipped to secure their communities.
According to him, state police would enable indigenous personnel, who are familiar with the local terrain, culture and language, to effectively maintain law and order.
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“The state police would employ indigenes to police their localities rather than deploying people who may not be conversant with the local terrain.
“I want to believe that this policy will go a long way in maintaining law and order within local communities.
“What we are concerned about is for the institution to operate within the ambit of the law,” Agya said.
The chief judge also praised the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association for successfully organising the branch’s Law Week activities and appealed to guests at the event to support the construction of the Wukari NBA Secretariat Complex through generous donations.
In his address, the Chairman of the Wukari Branch of the NBA, Mr. Hassan Saubana, called on the judiciary to recruit more judicial officers for courts in the southern part of Taraba State.
Saubana said the shortage of judicial personnel had continued to hamper the effective administration of justice in the area.
He commended the Chief Judge, High Court judges and other dignitaries for honouring the event and reaffirmed the branch’s commitment to commencing work on the Justice Joel Agya NBA Secretariat Complex once sufficient funds are raised.
The event marked the conclusion of the two-day Law Week programme organised by the Wukari Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association.