IGP Disu inaugurates panel to propose framework for state police
Freshly sworn-in Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, Wednesday, 4 March, inaugurated a high-level committee to develop a comprehensive framework for the establishment of state police.
The move follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu, who last week urged the 10th Senate to initiate constitutional amendments to decentralise policing.
The President maintained that an unbundled police structure will strengthen grassroots security and improve response times to internal threats.
Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja, IGP Disu clarified that the committee’s mandate was to examine the concept of state policing as part of a broader effort to modernise Nigeria’s internal security architecture.
“The committee was set up to look into the issue of State Police from the angle of the Nigeria Police Force,” Disu stated. “We want to ensure that as the primary stakeholders, we provide the professional input necessary to make this transition a success. We are not afraid; our jobs are not being taken. This is about partnership, not a threat.”
The committee’s key responsibilities include
reviewing global and domestic policing models, assessing community security needs and emerging risks, proposing an operational framework for state police coordination, addressing recruitment, training standards, funding, and oversight to ensure public trust.
The steering committee is chaired by Prof. Olu Ogunsakin, Director-General of the National Institute for Police Studies, with CP Bode Ojajuni serving as secretary. Other members include DCP Okebechi Agora, DCP Suleyman Gulma, ACP Ikechukwu Okafor, CSP Tolulope Ipinmisho, and retired CP Emmanuel Ojukwu.
The developmenthas receivedendorsementfrom a retired Assistant Inspector-General Ali Amodu, who described the panel as a “step in the right direction,” noting that he had advocated for decentralization as far back as 1981.
“The police work with the people, and people appreciate their own. That familiarity is what builds the trust needed for intelligence gathering,” Amodu said.
Former Commissioner of Police Lawrence Alobi also backed the initiative but cautioned the committee to be proactive regarding jurisdictional challenges. “If a crime is committed in one state and the suspect flees to another, how will the two state forces interact? These supervisory roles and legal boundaries must be determined now,” Alobi warned.
In a separate briefing following his swearing-in, IGP Disu revealed that the Force is on high alert regarding the escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran.
Acknowledging that certain domestic groups hold allegiances to Middle Eastern ideologies, Disu confirmed that intelligence policing has been ramped up to prevent any local repercussions from the international crisis.
“We are aware of the sects that pay allegiance to that part of the world. We are taking all necessary actions and engaging in dialogue to ensure that law and order are maintained,” the IGP added.
