Disu Inaugurates Committee to Drive State Police Framework

Disu Inaugurates Committee to Drive State Police Framework

The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, on Wednesday inaugurated a seven-member committee to oversee the proposed implementation of state police across the country.

The committee, chaired by Professor Olu Ogunsakin, a scholar of police studies, is expected to develop an operational blueprint that will guide the establishment and coordination of state policing structures in Nigeria.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Disu described the assignment as crucial to ongoing efforts to strengthen internal security and modernise policing in the country.

He charged members of the committee to provide a comprehensive framework that would ensure state police institutions complement, rather than undermine, the existing national security structure.

“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,” the IGP said.

He stressed that the committee’s recommendations must reflect professionalism and objectivity, given the complexities of policing in a diverse nation.

According to him, the team is expected to review policing models within and outside Nigeria, assess community security needs and emerging threats, and propose workable guidelines for recruitment, training, standards and resource allocation.

Disu added that the panel would also design accountability and oversight mechanisms capable of sustaining public trust and professionalism within state-controlled police structures.

“If thoughtfully designed and effectively implemented, State Policing holds significant potential benefits for our country,” he said, noting that decentralised policing could enhance local intelligence gathering and enable quicker responses to security threats.

Other members of the committee include Bode Ojajuni, who will serve as secretary, as well as Okebechi Agora, Suleyman Gulma, Ikechukwu Okafor, Tolulope Ipinmisho and Emmanuel Ojukwu.

The move comes amid renewed momentum by the Federal Government to actualise state police as part of broader security reforms. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has repeatedly pledged to support the creation of state-controlled police formations to tackle rising insecurity.

In a recent communication to the National Assembly, the President requested amendments to the 1999 Constitution to provide the legal backing required for the establishment of state police.

The National Assembly of Nigeria has since begun the constitutional amendment process aimed at accommodating the proposed reform.