A former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie has advised the federal government to strive to build a people’s police rather than the police that is meant for only the rich.

Coomasie gave the advice during an interview with newsmen in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

He noted that the way police personnel were being treated or recruited accounted for the opposition of most Nigerians to the establishment of a State Police.

He recalled that, "even in the past, when we had NA(Native Authority) and local government police, they were misused by those in authority".

The former Inspector-General argued that the establishment of state police could be dangerous because of the fear that state governors might abuse such opportunities.

Coomassie appealed to the police authorities to ensure that adequate training and re-training of personnel were regularly conducted "so that we  can have a trusted and reliable police."

He recommended that the traditional rulers should be carried along before new recruitments were carried out in the police to avoid bringing in criminals into the system, noting that the high unemployment rate and poverty level of the people breed social vices and therefore urged the government to address such issues for a better Nigeria.

On the activities of the Boko Haram sect, he expressed confidence in the ability of President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki to check the trend.