The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has inaugurated a high-level committee to examine the feasibility and operational framework for the establishment of State Police in Nigeria, stressing that the reform is intended to strengthen, not replace, the existing national policing structure.
Speaking during the inauguration, the police chief charged members of the committee to approach their assignment with patriotism and intellectual rigor, noting that their recommendations could play a significant role in reshaping Nigeria’s internal security architecture.
Disu acknowledged the evolving security challenges across the country, including communal conflicts and organised crime, saying innovative thinking and strategic collaboration are required to improve the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to effectively protect lives and property.
“The concept of State Police is therefore being carefully examined as part of broader national efforts to improve security governance, bring policing closer to the people, and deepen community participation in crime prevention,” he said.
The committee is chaired by Olu Ogunsakin, while Bode Ojajuni serves as secretary. Other members include retired Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Ojukwu and several senior police officers.
According to the IGP, the committee has been given a broad mandate to review policing models within and outside Nigeria, assess community security needs across the federation, and propose a comprehensive operational framework for coordinating State Police structures.
He said the committee must also address critical issues such as recruitment processes, training standards, funding and resource allocation, and the development of accountability mechanisms to ensure professionalism and maintain public trust in any new policing system.
Disu noted that a decentralised policing structure could lead to faster response times, improved grassroots-level intelligence gathering, and stronger public confidence in law enforcement agencies.
He added that the creation of State Police could also generate employment opportunities for thousands of young Nigerians, contributing to national development.
However, the IGP reassured officers of the Nigeria Police Force and the general public that the introduction of State Police would not weaken the federal police system.
“State policing should not be misunderstood as a replacement for, or a diminution of, the Nigeria Police Force. Rather, it should be seen as a complementary structure within a coordinated national security framework,” he said.
He explained that while State Police would focus on local services such as community safety and neighbourhood patrols, the federal police would continue to concentrate on complex crimes requiring national coordination, including terrorism, cybercrime, and trafficking networks.
“The vision we seek is one of synergy, not competition; partnership, not duplication,” the IGP added.
The committee is expected to submit its recommendations in the coming weeks as stakeholders across the country await a roadmap that could significantly shape the future of policing in Nigeria.
