The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has inaugurated a Committee on State Policing, describing the move as a critical step toward strengthening Nigeria’s internal security architecture and deepening community-based law enforcement.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Disu said the task before the committee was both significant and timely, stressing that Nigeria’s evolving security challenges require innovative thinking, strategic collaboration and bold reforms to make policing more responsive to local realities.
He explained that the committee has been mandated to develop a workable framework for the operation of state policing without undermining the national security structure. According to him, members will review existing policing models within and outside the country, assess community security needs, identify potential risks and propose an operational structure for the establishment and coordination of state police systems.
The IGP said the panel would also address key issues such as recruitment procedures, training standards, resource allocation, accountability and oversight mechanisms to ensure professionalism and sustain public trust. He noted that, if properly designed and implemented, state policing could bring law enforcement closer to the people, enhance local understanding of security dynamics and enable quicker responses to emerging threats within communities.
Disu emphasized that decentralizing certain policing responsibilities would allow state governments and local authorities to respond more effectively to security challenges within their jurisdictions, while the Federal Government focuses on broader national priorities. He described the envisioned arrangement as one built on synergy and partnership rather than competition or duplication, urging members to carry out their assignment with diligence, professionalism and patriotism.
The committee, chaired by Prof. Olu Ogunsakin, has four weeks to submit its report. Other members include CP Emmanuel Ojukwu (Rtd), CP Bode Ojajuni, DCP Okebuchi Ogora, ACP Ikechukwu Okafor and CSP Tolulope Ipinmisho, among others.
Addressing concerns that state governors might misuse state police structures for political purposes, the IGP assured that such fears would be taken into account. He added that Nigeria would draw from comparative studies of countries operating similar systems to avoid potential pitfalls.
Meanwhile, senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force, including Deputy Inspectors-General who served under the immediate past IGP, Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, attended a strategic meeting convened by Disu in Abuja.
Those present included DIGs Frank Mba, Sadiq Abubakar, Basil Idgwu, Bzigu Kwazhi, Gumel, Fayoade and Adeola Hamzat.
It was gathered that the Police Service Commission is yet to take a formal decision on the status of the affected officers, many of whom are senior to the new IGP. By tradition within the Force, senior officers are expected to retire once a junior officer is appointed above them. As of the time of the meeting, however, no official announcement had been made regarding their retirement.
