Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has inaugurated an eight-member committee to propose an operational framework for the establishment and coordination of state policing in Nigeria, as fresh momentum builds around constitutional reforms to decentralise policing.
The committee, which will be led by Olu Ogunsakin, a professor of police studies, was inaugurated on Wednesday. Other members are Bode Ojajuni (secretary), Okebechi Agora, Suleyman Gulma, Ikechukwu Okafor, Tolulope Ipinmisho, and Emmanuel Ojukwu.
Speaking during the inauguration, Disu, who was recently appointed as IGP, asked the committee to propose an operational framework for the establishment and coordination of state police structures. The IGP asked the committee to review issues about training, recruitment, resource allocation, and oversight mechanisms necessary for the state police structures.
“It is my greatest privilege to formally inaugurate this committee on state policing. The task before this committee is both significant and timely as it speaks to our reflective demand to strengthen Nigeria’s security,” he said.
“The committee we are inaugurating today has a critical responsibility. Your work will help shape the framework through which state policing may operate in Nigeria in a manner that strengthens, rather than fragments, our national security system.
“In carrying out this assignment, your deliberations must be guided by professionalism, objectivity, and a clear appreciation of the unique complexities of policing a diverse nation such as ours.
“Among other responsibilities, the Committee is expected to: review existing policing models within and outside Nigeria; assess community security needs and emerging risks across the country; propose an operational framework for the establishment and coordination of State Police structures; address issues relating to recruitment, training, standards, and resource allocation; develop robust accountability and oversight mechanisms to ensure professionalism and public trust.
“If thoughtfully designed and effectively implemented, State Policing holds significant potential benefits for our country.
“By bringing law enforcement closer to communities, state police institutions can deepen local knowledge of security dynamics and enable quicker and more targeted responses to emerging threats.”
Disu said the decentralisation of the police will enable state governments and local authorities to respond more directly to security challenges within their jurisdictions, a long-running argument by proponents of state policing who believe local intelligence and quicker response times could improve outcomes.
The committee’s work comes as President Bola Tinubu continues to push for a legal basis for state police, urging the national assembly to amend the 1999 constitution to accommodate decentralised policing while preventing abuse of the system. The national assembly has begun steps toward constitutional amendments on the issue.
