By Obinna Uballa
Security stakeholders, including retired senior police officers, have backed moves toward the establishment of state police following the decision of the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to inaugurate a committee to develop a framework for the proposed reform.
A retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, said the decision by the police leadership to create a special committee was “a right step in the right direction.”
According to him, the committee would provide professional insight and advise the Presidency on how best to implement the decentralisation of the 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 in a chat with Punch Newspaper.
Amodu revealed 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 also noted that the proposed reform would require constitutional amendments since the current constitution provides for a single national police force.
Similarly, a former Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Alobi, supported the move, describing the committee as a professional initiative 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 said.
He, however, stressed the importance of clearly defining the operational structure and supervisory framework for state police formations.
According to him, issues relating to jurisdiction must be addressed to avoid conflicts when crimes involve multiple states.
“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.
It would be recalled that the newly sworn-in police chief on Wednesday set up a committee to examine the concept of state policing and propose a structure that could guide its implementation as discussions on constitutional amendments gather momentum.
The development comes amid renewed calls for decentralised policing to strengthen security across the country.
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 quicker responses to threats within states.
According to him, the current centralised policing structure requires constitutional review to accommodate the proposed reform.
Speaking at the inauguration of the panel, Disu said the committee would examine existing policing models within and outside Nigeria and assess community security needs across the country.
He explained 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, professional standards, funding, accountability and oversight to ensure that any new policing arrangement strengthens the country’s security architecture.
Disu noted that the formation of state police could help deliver more localised policing services focused on community safety, conflict prevention, neighbourhood patrols and early response to emerging threats.
He added that such a structure would encourage collaboration and specialisation between federal and state security institutions.
“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 also clarified that the committee was established to ensure that the police as an institution contributes meaningfully to the national conversation on state policing.
“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.
The police chief emphasised that the Force was not opposed to the introduction of state police, describing the proposed structure as a partnership rather than a threat.
“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 earlier 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.
