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The newly confirmed Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, on Wednesday, inaugurated a committee to develop a framework for the establishment of state police forces in Nigeria.
The move follows President Bola Tinubu’s call for constitutional amendments to decentralize the police, which he said would improve grassroots community security and improve rapid response to threats.
Speaking at the inauguration, Disu explained that the committee would study policing models within and outside Nigeria, assess the security needs of the community, and propose an operational structure for the state police force. It will also address recruiting, training, funding, accountability, and oversight. “The state police have come to stay, and the police have to be able to do their own part in making it a success. The police are not afraid. Our jobs are not being taken away. It’s just a matter of partnership,” he said.
The steering committee is chaired by Prof. Olu Ogunsakin, Director General of the National Institute of Police Studies, with CP Bode Ojajuni as secretary, along with other senior officers and a retired commissioner.
Retired officers Ali Amodu and Lawrence Alobi welcomed the initiative, describing it as a professional and proactive move. Amodu recalled advocating decentralization as early as 1981, while Alobi emphasized the importance of defining supervisory structures and jurisdictional boundaries to avoid conflict.
Disu also noted that police are monitoring Islamic groups in Nigeria that have ties to Middle Eastern countries, and warned that the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict could have an impact at the local level. “Our ears are down. We know there is a group of people who are loyal to the eastern hemisphere. If something happens there, the impact will be on us,” he said.
His swearing-in ceremony was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, cabinet members, and top government officials, marking his official confirmation as Inspector General of Police.
