How Nigeria will benefit from state police – IGP

How Nigeria will benefit from state police – IGP

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, has thrown his weight behind the establishment of state police, describing the proposed reform as a transformative step that could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, improve community policing and enhance intelligence gathering across the country.

Speaking at the Fifth United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2026) held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Disu said decentralising policing would bring law enforcement closer to the people, enabling officers to better understand the communities they serve and respond more effectively to emerging security threats.

According to the police chief, although the debate over state police has gained considerable momentum, the implementation process requires careful planning, broad consultations and institutional reforms to ensure the new policing system delivers its intended objectives without compromising national security.

“We are still at the teething stage. We need experience, education and comparative studies from jurisdictions already practising state police,” Disu said.

He noted that countries operating decentralised policing systems have demonstrated the importance of building strong legal frameworks, accountability mechanisms and operational guidelines before transferring policing responsibilities to sub-national governments.

The IGP explained that one of the biggest advantages of state police would be stronger community policing, where officers are recruited from and deployed within the states and communities they understand best.

According to him, officers who are familiar with local languages, cultures, traditions and geographical terrain are better positioned to earn public trust, identify security threats early and gather actionable intelligence capable of preventing crimes before they occur.

“It will bring policing closer to the people because officers will better understand the communities they serve. It will take us back to the era when almost everybody knew those policing their communities,” he said.

Disu stressed that improved relationships between residents and security personnel would encourage citizens to volunteer timely information, thereby strengthening intelligence gathering and enhancing the ability of security agencies to combat kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes.

He added that state police would complement—not replace—the Nigeria Police Force, allowing the federal police to concentrate more resources on national security responsibilities such as counter-terrorism, border security, cybercrime, organised crime and international policing.

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The IGP reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to professionalism, innovation and intelligence-led policing, saying the Force would continue to adopt modern policing strategies and deepen collaboration with local and international partners to improve public safety.

Disu’s remarks come at a time when momentum is building around the proposed State Police Bill, one of Nigeria’s most significant constitutional reform initiatives in recent years.

The proposed legislation seeks to transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution, thereby allowing states that meet prescribed constitutional and operational requirements to establish, fund and manage their own police services while maintaining the Nigeria Police Force as the country’s federal policing institution.

Supporters of the proposal argue that Nigeria’s current centralised policing structure has become overstretched due to the country’s growing population and increasingly complex security challenges.

They believe state police would improve emergency response times, strengthen local intelligence networks, enhance crime prevention and enable state governments to address peculiar security challenges within their jurisdictions more effectively.

However, the proposal has also generated debate among legal experts, civil society organisations and political stakeholders.

Opponents have expressed concerns that state police could be abused by state governments for political purposes or used to intimidate political opponents if strong constitutional safeguards are not put in place.

Others have questioned whether every state possesses the financial resources, institutional capacity and technical expertise required to establish and sustain professional police services.

To address these concerns, the Federal Government has repeatedly stated that any framework establishing state police would include robust oversight mechanisms, operational standards, recruitment guidelines, disciplinary procedures and coordination structures to ensure accountability and seamless cooperation between federal and state policing institutions.

Shortly after assuming office as Inspector-General of Police, Disu inaugurated a Steering Committee on the Establishment of State Police, charging its members to study policing models from other countries and develop practical recommendations suitable for Nigeria’s unique security environment.

The committee is expected to examine issues relating to recruitment standards, funding models, command structures, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency cooperation, training requirements and mechanisms for preventing political interference.

Beyond domestic security, Disu used the UN summit to reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to international peacekeeping and global security cooperation.

He noted that since participating in its first United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Congo in 1960, Nigeria has remained one of the organisation’s most dependable contributors to peace support operations.

“There is virtually no UN mission where you will not find Nigerian personnel serving with distinction,” the IGP said.

He paid tribute to Nigerian police officers and military personnel who lost their lives while serving in peacekeeping missions across different parts of the world, saying their sacrifices have earned Nigeria international recognition and respect.

“The United Nations will never joke with Nigeria’s contributions because of our commitment and sacrifices,” he added.

Disu also warned that criminals and terrorist groups are increasingly exploiting artificial intelligence (AI), encrypted communication platforms and digital technologies to coordinate sophisticated crimes across national borders.

He called for stronger international cooperation, improved intelligence sharing, greater investment in modern policing technology and equal access to digital investigative tools to help law enforcement agencies combat cybercrime, terrorism, transnational organised crime and other emerging security threats.

The Fifth United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit brought together police chiefs, ministers, security experts and senior law enforcement officials from around the world to discuss strategies for strengthening international policing, leveraging technology and improving collaboration in tackling evolving global security challenges.

As discussions on state police continue in Nigeria, stakeholders say the success of the proposed reform will depend largely on the legal safeguards, funding mechanisms, operational independence and accountability structures put in place to ensure the new system strengthens national security while protecting citizens’ rights and the rule of law.

How Nigeria will benefit from state police – IGP