By: Efecha Gold
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has formally inaugurated an eight-member committee to drive the implementation of state police across Nigeria, marking a major step toward restructuring the country’s security system.
The announcement was made on Wednesday during a ceremony held at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where the IGP described the move as a decisive shift in Nigeria’s policing structure. He stressed that the creation of state police is no longer a proposal under debate but a reform that must now be carefully developed and implemented.
Addressing senior officers and stakeholders at the event, Disu assured members of the Nigeria Police Force that the reform would not threaten their positions or weaken the federal police structure. Instead, he said, it would strengthen national security by creating a more collaborative and responsive policing framework.
“State police have come to stay, and the police should be able to contribute their part in making it succeed. The police are not afraid, our jobs are not being taken,” he said.
The IGP disclosed that the committee has been given one month to submit its report, describing the task as urgent and crucial to addressing Nigeria’s growing security concerns. According to him, the assignment comes at a time when the country faces increasingly complex threats that require fresh thinking and structural reforms.
He noted that across the country, security challenges continue to evolve, demanding innovative strategies and stronger cooperation among all levels of government.
“This committee on state policing we are inaugurating today has a critical responsibility,” he said.
“Your work will help shape the framework through which state policing may operate in Nigeria in a manner that strengthens, rather than fragments, the national security system.”
The police chief urged members of the committee to carry out their duties with professionalism, fairness and an understanding of Nigeria’s diversity. He emphasized that any state police structure must reflect the country’s ethnic, cultural and regional complexities to avoid abuse or imbalance.
He further explained that decentralised policing, if properly designed, could offer significant benefits to Nigerians.
“If thoughtfully designed and effectively implemented, state policing holds significant potential benefits for our country,” he said.
“By bringing law enforcement closer to the communities, state police institutions can deepen the knowledge of security dynamics and enable quicker and more targeted responses to emerging threats.”
Amid fears in some quarters that state police could create rivalry between federal and state commands, the IGP reiterated that the reform is intended to promote partnership, not competition. He maintained that officers of the Nigeria Police Force would continue to play a central role in national security operations.
He also noted that Nigerians are watching closely and expect meaningful outcomes from the committee’s work. The recommendations, he said, would play a key role in shaping the future of policing and strengthening public trust in security institutions.
The committee is expected to consult widely with stakeholders and develop a practical framework that outlines how state police would function alongside the federal police, as conversations around decentralised policing continue nationwide.
The renewed push for state police follows recent remarks by President Bola Tinubu, who called on the National Assembly to begin the constitutional amendment process required to establish state police.
The president made the appeal while hosting senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where discussions focused on rising insecurity and the need for stronger collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government.
According to Tinubu, amending the Constitution to allow state police would help Nigeria tackle banditry, terrorism and kidnapping more effectively, reclaim forests controlled by criminal groups, and restore confidence in public safety.
Nigeria has in recent years battled widespread security threats, including banditry in the North-West, insurgency in the North-East, frequent kidnappings along highways, and deadly attacks on rural communities. These persistent challenges have intensified calls for reforms to the country’s centrally controlled policing system, with many stakeholders arguing that decentralised policing could provide faster and more localised responses to crime.(Golden Nation MultiMedia)
