Details Of IGP’s Committee Report On State Police Emerge

Details Of IGP’s Committee Report On State Police Emerge
Framework includes federal oversight, community policing, and state-level operations.
Experts caution on autonomy, terrorism roles, and National Police Standards Board.

A committee established by the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has recommended that 60 per cent of Nigeria’s police personnel be redeployed to state police services if the creation of state police is approved.

The recommendation was part of a report submitted on Thursday to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the proposal has drawn mixed reactions from security experts. Some support the framework, while others have raised concerns about its feasibility and potential impact. Nigeria currently has about 370,000 police officers for a population exceeding 200 million, giving a ratio of one officer per 600 citizens. This falls short of the United Nations’ recommended ratio of one officer per 450 citizens.

Under the committee’s plan, roughly 222,000 officers would be moved to state police formations.

The seven-member steering committee proposed a two-tier policing structure. The Federal Police Service (FPS) would handle national security, terrorism, interstate crimes, and federal law enforcement, while each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory would have a State Police Service (SPS) responsible for local crimes such as armed robbery, homicide, domestic violence, and community policing.

The report recommends that the federal police retain 40 per cent of personnel for national assignments, while 60 per cent are redeployed to state commands.

A Voluntary Transfer Programme (VTP) would allow federal officers to join their home state or preferred state service. Officers opting in would receive a three-month salary transfer grant, transition training, and guaranteed pension continuity certificates. The committee also proposed a National Police Standards Board (NPSB), a 13-member federal body to set minimum standards for recruitment, training, professional conduct, accountability, and funding structures. The board would monitor compliance and publish annual performance reports.

Community policing is central to the framework. Each State Police Service would establish a Department of Community Policing, while Local Government Areas would host Community Policing Forums including police officers, traditional rulers, youth organisations, women’s groups, and religious leaders. Community Liaison Officers would be assigned to maintain local engagement.

To prevent misuse by governors, the framework proposes constitutional restrictions on partisan deployment, Independent State Police Service Commissions, criminal sanctions for interference, and fast-track judicial review. Additional oversight measures include ombudsmen, legislative committees, body-worn cameras, and public dashboards showing police performance.

The proposed State Police Fund (SPF) would receive 3 per cent statutory allocation from the Federation Account, distributed by population, land area, security needs, and fiscal capacity, as well as at least 15 per cent of each state’s security budget. The committee outlined a 60-month phased plan. Months 1–12 would cover constitutional and legal amendments, months 13–24 the establishment of state police services and launch of the VTP, months 25–42 initial operations and withdrawal of federal police from local policing, and months 43–60 full consolidation, evaluation, and legislative review.

Security consultant and former DSS Director, Mike Ejiofor, criticised the proposal to redeploy 60 per cent of federal officers. He argued that state police should recruit and train their own personnel independently. Ejiofor also opposed restrictions preventing state police from tackling terrorism and banditry, noting that state commands should address all forms of crime while handing over prosecution cases to the federal police.

He questioned the creation of the NPSB, suggesting it could undermine state police autonomy under Nigeria’s federal system. “They should operate independently instead of sharing 60%. Besides, some officers posted to the state police will not like it,” he said.