IGP Disu Inaugurates Committee to Develop State Policing Framework in Nigeria

The Olatunji Rilwan Disu, Inspector-General of Police, has launched a Committee on State Policing, describing it as an essential move to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and improve community policing.

At the Abuja ceremony, Disu said the committee’s role was “significant and timely,” highlighting that Nigeria’s current security challenges demand “innovative thinking, strategic collaboration and bold reforms.”

“Nigeria’s evolving security challenges require innovative thinking, strategic collaboration and bold reforms to make policing more responsive to local realities,” he said.

The IGP outlined that the committee will develop a practical framework for state policing without undermining national security. Members are tasked with assessing existing policing models domestically and internationally, evaluating local security needs, identifying threats, and recommending an operational structure for state police coordination.

The committee will also consider recruitment policies, training standards, resource allocation, and accountability systems to ensure professional conduct and public confidence.

“If properly designed and implemented, state policing could bring law enforcement closer to the people, enhance local knowledge of security dynamics, and enable quicker responses to emerging threats within communities,” Disu added.

He further stressed that decentralizing some policing duties would enable state governments to manage local security challenges effectively while allowing the Federal Government to focus on national priorities.

“The vision we seek is one of synergy, not competition; partnership, not duplication,” the IGP said, urging members to approach the assignment with professionalism and patriotism.

Chaired by Prof. Olu Ogunsakin, the committee has four weeks to deliver its report and includes officers such as CP Emmanuel Ojukwu (Rtd), CP Bode Ojajuni, DCP Okebuchi Ogora, ACP Ikechukwu Okafor, and CSP Tolulope Ipinmisho.

Disu addressed concerns that state governors might exploit state policing structures for political purposes, assuring that such issues would be mitigated through lessons from other nations.

Senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force, including former Deputy Inspectors-General under ex-IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, attended a strategic meeting in Abuja. Notable participants were DIGs Frank Mba, Sadiq Abubakar, Basil Idgwu, Bzigu Kwazhi, Gumel, Fayoade, and Adeola Hamzat.

The Police Service Commission has yet to make a formal decision regarding the status of senior officers, many of whom may traditionally retire after a junior officer is promoted above them.

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