President Bola Tinubu has called on the leadership of the 10th Senate to begin the process of amending the constitution to allow for the establishment of state police as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing system.
The President made the appeal last Wednesday during an Iftar (breaking of fast) meeting with senators at the Presidential Villa, where he stressed the need to decentralise the country’s policing structure to improve security at the grassroots.
Tinubu argued that a decentralised policing system would enable faster responses to local security threats, noting that the current centrally controlled structure requires constitutional adjustments to accommodate the proposed reforms.
According to him, empowering states to manage their own police structures would strengthen internal security and enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement across the country.
Speaking during the inauguration of a committee tasked with reviewing the proposal, the newly sworn in IGP, Tunji Disu said the panel had been mandated to examine the concept of state policing as part of wider efforts to reinforce Nigeria’s internal security framework and promote community-based policing.
Disu explained that the committee would study policing models both within Nigeria and internationally in order to identify workable strategies that could guide the establishment of state police.
He noted that the panel would also assess community security needs and emerging risks across the country while developing a practical operational framework for the coordination of state police structures.
In addition, the committee is expected to address critical issues such as recruitment, training, operational standards, funding and resource allocation for the proposed system.
Disu added that the panel would also recommend strong accountability and oversight mechanisms designed to guarantee professionalism within state police structures and build public confidence in the new system if eventually adopted.
