The Federal Government has taken a step further in its bid to decentralise policing in the country, as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, submitted a framework for the establishment of state police to the Senate on Thursday.
Disu submitted the document to the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Barau heads the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, said in a statement that the 75-page framework was submitted on behalf of the IGP by Professor Olu Ogunsakin, the chairman of the committee set up by the Nigeria Police Force to “examine the modalities for the establishment of State Police in Nigeria.”
The document, titled “A Comprehensive Framework for the Establishment, Governance, and Coordination of Federal and State Police,” details the proposed modus operandi of state police.
Presenting the document, the IGP noted, “The report covers the considered views, professional insights and strategic recommendations of the Force, derived from extensive consultations and a careful assessment of the operational, legal and administrative implications of instituting State Police in Nigeria.
“It is our expectation that the contents of this report will meaningfully contribute to ongoing deliberations and assist in shaping informed, balanced, and pragmatic decisions on this critical aspect of national security architecture.”
Disu added that the report was forwarded to the Chairman and the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution as the Nigeria Police Force’s input on the subject matter.
Senator Jibrin commended the IGP for his proactiveness on the establishment of state police in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda to fully secure the country.
The Deputy Senate President promised that his committee would review the framework alongside other memos submitted to strengthen the constitution and make appropriate recommendations to the Senate in plenary.
Shortly after he was inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu on March 4, Disu spoke about the administration’s commitment to implementing state police.
He dismissed fears that state police would erode the powers of the Nigeria Police Force.
Disu said, “State police has come to stay, and the police should be able to do their own part in making it succeed.
“The police are not afraid. Our jobs are not being taken. It is just an issue of partnership.”
