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The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has inaugurated a special committee to drive the implementation of State Police and craft a new vision for policing in Nigeria.
The eight-member committee, made up of senior officers, was unveiled shortly after Disu assumed office as the 23rd indigenous Inspector-General of Police. The move signals the beginning of concrete steps toward decentralised policing in the country.
Disu’s first official engagement with top officers of the Nigeria Police Force took place on Wednesday, following the approval of his appointment by the Nigeria Police Council.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the IGP described the task before the committee as “significant and timely,” stressing that it responds to the growing demand for strengthened internal security and community-responsive policing.
“It is my greatest privilege to formally inaugurate this Committee on State Policing. The task before this committee is both significant and timely, as it speaks directly to the demand to strengthen Nigeria’s internal security and ensure that policing remains responsive to the realities of our communities,” Disu said.
He noted that Nigeria continues to face evolving security challenges that require innovative thinking, strategic collaboration and meaningful reforms to enhance operational capacity.
According to him, the committee has a critical responsibility to shape a framework through which state policing can operate.
“Your work will help shape the framework through which state policing may operate in Nigeria in a manner that strengthens, rather than fragments, our national security system,” he said.
Disu charged members to be guided by professionalism, objectivity and a clear understanding of the complexities of policing in a diverse nation.
He outlined the committee’s key responsibilities to include; reviewing existing policing models within and outside Nigeria, assessing community security needs and risks across the country, and proposing an operational framework for the establishment and coordination of state police structures.
Other assignments include addressing recruitment processes, training standards, resource allocation, and developing robust accountability and oversight mechanisms to ensure professionalism and public trust.
The IGP highlighted the potential benefits of decentralised policing if carefully designed and effectively implemented.
“By bringing law enforcement closer to the communities, state police institutions can deepen local knowledge of security dynamics and enable quicker and more targeted responses to emerging threats,” he said.
He added that decentralisation would allow state governments and local authorities to respond more efficiently to specific security challenges within their jurisdictions, while the federal government focuses on broader national security priorities.
Disu, however, reassured officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force that their constitutional role as the primary national law enforcement institution remains intact.
He explained that the federal police would concentrate more strategically on complex and transnational crimes such as terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime and trafficking networks that require national coordination and specialised capacity.
“The vision we seek is one of synergy, not competition; partnership, not duplication,” the IGP stated.
He urged members of the committee to approach their assignment with diligence, intellectual rigour and patriotism, noting that the expectations of Nigerians are high and that the outcome of their work will significantly shape the future of policing in the country.
Disu formally declared the committee inaugurated and wished members fruitful deliberations.
Acting IGP Disu inaugurates state police implementation committee
