LAST Wednesday, the new Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, was formally sworn-in as the 23rd indigenous head of the Nigeria Police Force by President Bola Tinubu. Before going further, some optics. His predecessor, Kayode Egbetokun was said to have been summoned by the President penultimate Tuesday, and in the aftermath of the meeting, Egbetokun resigned. Disu, an Assistant Inspector-General, was named to succeed him.
On the day Disu was sworn-in, he set up a panel to design a framework for the establishment of state police. The panel is headed by Olu Ogunsakin, a professor of police studies, and is tasked to propose an operational framework for the establishment and coordination of state police structures in four weeks. Other members of the panel include serving and retired police officers. According to Disu: "We don't want it to seem as if others are taking decisions and we, the most important people concerned, did not do anything.
"We want to ensure that the best thing is done. State police has come to stay, and the police should be able to contribute their part in making it succeed. The police are not afraid, our jobs are not being taken. It is an issue of partnership."
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It is instructive to note that barely a week in office as IGP, Disu has opted to play in an area of contention regarding policing in Nigeria. That he opted to front the Nigeria Police Force as a major institution in the actualisation of state police in Nigeria is instructive; it is clear that his predecessors probably have not taken kindly to the notion of having to share their fiefdom with any other organisation; legally created or not. In fact, from a legal standpoint, the Nigeria Police Force is a behemoth created by both the 1999 Constitution, and before then, from colonial times, through the Police Act. Today, there are quite a number of security organisations that derive their powers from the Police Act. These include the Immigration Service, the Customs Service, the Federal Road Safety Corps and others. Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution (As amended) states that,
"There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section, no other police force shall be established for the Federation or any part thereof".
The 1999 Constitution was very clear on the status of the Police Force as a behemoth in the security arena nationwide. However, decades of under-funding, under-equipment, and under-staffing have left the Police incapacitated while crime and criminality grew and got more sophisticated. As the nation's security woes got worse, sections of the population started clamouring for the establishment of state police. This clamour is rooted in the experience of state governors.
While they are constitutionally mandated to be chief security officers of their states, commissioners of police who head commands in the states take their orders from the Inspector-General. This arragement effectively ousts state governors from issuing operational directives to state commissioners of police with regards to maintenance of law and order. Some state governments that established para-military organisations to help combat the growing wave of criminality have not had a smooth experience. In the South-Western part of the country, the state governments came together to establish the Amotekun Corps, but instead of synergy, it has been conflict.
Things got bad for the Amotekun Corps in Osun State that in October 2025 and early 2026, former IGP Kayode Egbetokun took significant action against Amotekun following allegations of extra-judicial killings, illegal detention, and extortion. Egbetokun ordered Police operatives from Abuja (IRT FIB team) to seal off Amotekun's operational bases in Oke-Fia, Osogbo, and Ile-Ife. The continued sealing of Amotekun offices has led to a major dispute between the state and federal authorities. Governor Ademola Adeleke repeatedly urged the IGP to lift the ban, warning that the lack of Amotekun presence is creating a security vacuum, allowing banditry and kidnapping to rise. It did not happen till Egbetokun left office.
While many Nigerians hailed Disu's move, it is to be noted that there exists a lot of internal house-keeping to be done. First, the 1999 Constitution has to be amended with explicit, unambiguous provisions for state police. It is instructive to note that at an Iftar dinner at the State House in Abuja, the president urged members of the National Assembly present to amend the Constitution to pave way for state police. On that, I think the president was toeing the easy path. If he wants that done, he should sponsor an executive bill on the matter and send to the National Assembly for debate and eventual passage.
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Then, there is the issue of Amotekun, which were created through duly-passed legislation in the various state assemblies. There is also Ebubeagu of the South-Eastern states, and up North, the most visible state para-police organ is the Hisbah Corps of Kano State. Constitutional amendments to accommodate state police MUST factor in these interests. Also, the Ogunsakin Panel set up by IGP Disu also has to take this into consideration. Having said all these, what Nigerians really desire is a Police system that works in a way that will enable them sleep with two eyes closed, be proactive, and battle criminality to a standstill. It is going to take a lot of grit to achieve, but it is doable, and within reasonable time too. The level of progress in any society remains a function of how peaceful it is. It is not too much to ask for. TGIF.
