The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, on Monday inaugurated a Committee on State Policing, marking a fresh institutional step in the push for decentralised law enforcement across Nigeria.
The move follows the President’s recent call on the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to provide a legal framework for state police, arguing that decentralised policing is necessary to address Nigeria’s evolving security threats.
Speaking at his first engagement with senior officers after his confirmation as the 23rd Indigenous Inspector-General of Police, Disu described the committee’s assignment as “significant and timely,” noting that the country’s security challenges require innovative reforms and strategic coordination.
He said the panel would review policing models within and outside Nigeria, assess community security needs, and propose an operational framework covering structure, funding, recruitment, training standards, and accountability mechanisms.
Disu emphasised that any state policing arrangement must complement, not undermine, the constitutional mandate of the Nigeria Police Force.
“The vision is one of synergy, not competition — partnership, not duplication,” he said, reassuring officers that the federal police would remain central to national security, particularly in tackling terrorism, organised crime and other transnational threats.
The committee has been given four weeks to submit its recommendations, which are expected to contribute to broader national discussions on security reform and federalism.
