Security stakeholders, including retired senior police officers, have expressed support for the move by the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to set up a committee to develop a framework for the proposed establishment of state police.
A retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, described the decision in a chat with Punch Newspaper as “a right step in the right direction,” noting that the panel would provide professional input on how the proposed decentralisation of the police could be implemented.
According to him, the committee’s work would help guide the Presidency on the practical steps required to establish state police.
“The committee will actually provide the thinking and give advice to the Presidency because it is the police that they want to decentralise. It is good that the authorities will want to hear from them,” he said.
Amodu also disclosed that he had advocated decentralising the police as far back as 1981 after undergoing detective training in the United Kingdom.
He explained that policing differs from military operations because it requires close engagement with local communities.
“The police are not like the army. Policing requires working closely with the people, and communities often feel more comfortable sharing information with officers they identify with,” he said.
He added that the proposed reform would require amendments to the constitution, which currently provides for a single national police force.
Similarly, a former Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Alobi, backed the constitution of the committee, describing it as a professional and proactive step by the police leadership.
“It’s the right thing to have done because police affairs are about policing, and the police can effectively handle police issues,” Alobi told the newspaper.
He, however, stressed the need to clearly define the operational structure and supervisory framework for state police formations to avoid conflicts.
According to him, jurisdictional issues must be addressed in advance, particularly in cases where crimes cut across state boundaries.
“If a crime is committed in one state and the suspect flees to another, the process of arrest and cooperation between state police units must be clearly defined,” he said.
Alobi added that with proper planning and legal backing, the introduction of state police could significantly improve security across the country.
The newly sworn-in police chief on Wednesday inaugurated a committee to examine the concept of state policing and propose a structure that could guide its implementation as discussions on constitutional amendments continue.
The development comes amid renewed calls for decentralised policing to strengthen security across Nigeria.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu urged the leadership of the Nigerian Senate to initiate constitutional amendments that would provide legal backing for the establishment of state police.
Tinubu made the call during a Ramadan fast-breaking meeting with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, stressing that decentralised policing would improve security at the grassroots and enable faster responses to threats within states.
According to him, the current centralised policing structure requires constitutional review to accommodate the proposed reform.
Speaking during the inauguration of the panel, Disu said the committee would review existing policing models within and outside Nigeria and assess community security needs across the country.
He added that the panel would also propose an operational framework for the establishment and coordination of state police structures.
The Inspector-General said the committee would address issues relating to recruitment, training, standards, funding, accountability and oversight to ensure professionalism and public trust.
Disu noted that state police could help provide more localised policing services focused on community safety, neighbourhood patrols, conflict prevention and early response to emerging threats.
“This collaborative arrangement will encourage specialisation, strengthen professionalism, and ultimately deliver more effective security outcomes for our citizens,” he said.
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 CP Emmanuel Ojukwu (retd.).
Disu explained that the committee was established to ensure that the police as an institution contributes to the national debate on the proposed reform.
“The committee was set up to look into the issue of state police from the angle of the Nigeria Police. We don’t want it to seem as if others are taking decisions while the police, who are directly involved, remain silent,” he said.
He emphasised that the Force was not opposed to the idea of state police, describing it as a partnership rather than a threat to the existing structure.
“State police has come to stay, and the police should be able to do their own part in making it succeed. The police are not afraid. Our jobs are not being taken. It’s just an issue of partnership,” Disu said.
Disu was sworn in as the substantive Inspector-General of Police on Wednesday during a ceremony witnessed by Vice President Kashim Shettima and other senior government officials.
Also present were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; and Head of Service, Esther Walson-Jack.
His confirmation followed his appointment as acting Inspector-General by President Tinubu after the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun on February 23, 2026.
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