The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, on Wednesday inaugurated a committee on State Policing.
Disu said the decision is to strengthen Nigeria’s internal security architecture and improve community-based policing across the country.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in the presence of top police officers at the Force headquarters, Abuja, Disu said the task before the committee is timely and important.
He said Nigeria’s evolving security challenges require innovative thinking, strategic collaboration, and bold reforms to make policing more responsive to local realities.
The IGP said the committee is expected to develop a workable framework through which state policing can operate in Nigeria without undermining the country’s national security structure.
Disu stated that the committee’s responsibilities include reviewing existing policing models within and outside Nigeria, assessing community security needs, identifying potential risks, and proposing an operational structure for the establishment and coordination of state police systems
He noted that the committee will also address key issues relating to recruitment procedures, training standards, resource allocation, and the development of accountability and oversight mechanisms that will ensure professionalism and sustain public trust in the policing system.
The IGP noted that if properly designed and implemented, state policing will bring law enforcement closer to the people, enhance local knowledge of security dynamics, and enable quicker responses to emerging threats within communities.
Decentralising certain policing responsibilities, he said, would allow state governments and local authorities to respond more effectively to security challenges within their jurisdictions, while the federal government focuses on broader national security priorities.
He also reassured officers and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force that the proposed state policing framework would not diminish the role of the federal police.
“The Nigerian Police Force will continue to play its constitutional role as the primary national law enforcement institution responsible for maintaining internal security across the federation,” he said.
He added that the reform would instead enhance efficiency by allowing the federal police to concentrate on complex and transnational crimes such as terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime, trafficking networks, and other security threats that require national coordination.
Disu said, “The vision we seek is one of synergy, not competition; partnership, not duplication.”
He urged members of the committee to carry out their assignment with diligence, professionalism, and patriotism, noting that the expectations of Nigerians are high and that the committee’s recommendations would play a crucial role in shaping the future of policing in the country.
Recall that many have been calling for state policing to further curb crime and criminality, especially at the state and local level.
The seven-man committee is led by Professor Olu Ogunsakin as chairman.
The IGP said they have four weeks to submit their report.