The Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has inaugurated a Committee on State Policing, describing the initiative as a decisive step toward reinforcing Nigeria’s internal security framework and promoting community based law enforcement.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Disu said the task before the committee was both significant and timely, stressing that Nigeria’s evolving security landscape demands innovative thinking, strategic collaboration, and bold institutional reforms.
According to the police chief, the committee is mandated to develop a practical framework for the operation of state policing without undermining national security structures. Members are expected to review policing models within and outside Nigeria, assess community specific security needs, identify potential risks, and recommend an operational structure for elishing and coordinating state police systems.
Disu noted that critical issues such as recruitment processes, training standards, funding mechanisms, accountability measures, and oversight systems would be thoroughly examined to ensure professionalism and sustain public trust.
He explained that if properly implemented, state policing would bring law enforcement c to the grassroots, improve intelligence gathering based on local knowledge, and ensure faster responses to emerging threats. He added that decentralising certain policing responsibilities would allow state and local authorities to address security challenges more effectively, while the Federal Government focuses on broader national priorities.
The four week assignment is chaired by Prof Olu Ogunsakin and includes senior and retired officers such as CP Emmanuel Ojukwu Rtd, CP Bode Ojajuni, DCP Okebuchi Ogora, ACP Ikechukwu Okafor, and CSP Tolulope Ipinmisho.
Meanwhile, senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force, including Deputy Inspectors General who served under former IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, attended a strategic meeting in Abuja. The Police Service Commission is yet to announce any formal decision regarding their status.
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