The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has inaugurated a seven-member steering committee to design a framework for the proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria.
The committee, chaired by Professor Olu Ogunsakin, was formally launched on Wednesday. It has been tasked with drafting an operational structure that could guide how state police institutions would function and coordinate with national security agencies.
Speaking at the inauguration, Disu said the committee’s work would be crucial to strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture. He urged members to provide clear recommendations on recruitment, training standards, resource allocation and oversight mechanisms for state policing.
“The task before this committee is both significant and timely as it speaks to our collective demand to strengthen Nigeria’s security,” the IGP said.
He added that the group must ensure any proposed system enhances national security rather than weakening coordination among law enforcement agencies.
According to the police chief, the committee will study policing models within Nigeria and abroad, assess community security needs and propose a structure that allows state authorities to respond quickly to local threats.
Disu said decentralising policing could help states tackle security challenges more effectively by bringing law enforcement closer to communities.
“If thoughtfully designed and effectively implemented, state policing holds significant potential benefits for our country,” he said. “It can deepen local knowledge of security dynamics and enable quicker responses to emerging threats.”
Other members of the committee include Bode Ojajuni, who will serve as secretary, alongside Okebechi Agora, Suleyman Gulma, Ikechukwu Okafor, Tolulope Ipinmisho and Emmanuel Ojukwu.
The move comes as the federal government pushes for reforms to allow states to establish their own police forces.
President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly pledged to introduce state police as part of broader efforts to address rising insecurity across the country.
He recently asked the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the reform. Lawmakers have already begun the process of constitutional amendment to accommodate the creation of state police forces.
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