The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has submitted a comprehensive framework on the proposed establishment of state police to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, chairs the Senate Constitution Review Committee.
The Chairman of the committee set up by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to examine the modalities for establishing state police, DIG Uba Ringim Ogunsakin, submitted the 75-page framework on behalf of the IGP.
The document, titled “A Comprehensive Framework for the Establishment, Governance and Coordination of Federal and State Police,” outlines the Nigeria Police Force’s institutional position and recommendations on the proposed decentralisation of policing in Nigeria.
Speaking during the submission, Ogunsakin said the framework reflects the professional views, strategic recommendations and institutional insights of the police on the proposed creation of state police.
“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,” he said.
He added that the framework was intended to support the ongoing constitutional review process and provide lawmakers with practical guidance on a critical national security reform.
“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,” Ogunsakin stated.
He noted that the framework was formally forwarded to the Senate Committee as the Nigeria Police Force’s official contribution to the constitutional amendment process.
Responding, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin commended the IGP for what he described as proactive institutional steps toward the establishment of state police.
Barau said the proposal aligns with the security reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly efforts aimed at strengthening internal security across the country.
He further stated that the committee would review the police framework alongside other memoranda already submitted as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
The move follows the inauguration of a seven-member steering committee by IGP Disu on March 4, chaired by DIG Ogunsakin, to develop modalities for the establishment of state police in Nigeria.
The renewed push for state police gained momentum in February, when President Tinubu urged the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to work on constitutional amendments that would provide the legal basis for its establishment.
The debate over state police remains one of the most significant issues in Nigeria’s national security and constitutional reform discourse, with proponents arguing that decentralised policing would enhance local intelligence gathering, improve response time to threats and strengthen community-based security management.
