As concurrent efforts by the committee established by Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu and the Nigeria Governors Forum advance toward legislative approval, Nigeria’s long-discussed state police initiative is receiving new impetus.
Recall that ENigeria Newspaper reported that after being confirmed as the 23rd indigenous Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu,on March 3rd, established an eight-person committee to supervise the establishment of state police and the implementation of his policing agenda, making the announcement during his first meeting with senior police officials at the Peacekeeping Conference Center at Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The eight-person state police committee was led by Professor Olu Ogunsakin, who is the Director General of the National Institute for Police Studies with CP Bode Ojajuni serving as its secretary. DCP Okebechi Agora, DCP Suleyman Gulma, ACP Ikechukwu Okafor, CSP Tolulope Ipinmisho, and retired CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, the provost of the Police Public Relations School, are among the other members.
In the same vein, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has received input from the governors under the NGF regarding the proposed framework, and plans are in place for the paper to be sent to the National Assembly.
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor of Kwara State and chairman of the NGF, made this revelation while meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos. He noted that about 25 state governors were in attendance for the meeting within a short notice. Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and other senior government officials also attended the meeting.
“On the issue of state police, discussions are ongoing amongst various security organisations, led by the National Security Adviser, and the NGF has made its contribution,” he said.
“That document will be taken to the National Assembly to see how we can have a legislative framework for state police. As governors, we commit to renew our collaboration with security forces to defeat terrorism steadily, expand infrastructure opportunities and improve the lives of our people.
“Together, we must see that breaches of security all over the country come to an end,” AbdulRazaq added.
