Nigeria TV Info 

State Police Has Come to Stay – Tunji Disu

Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has declared that the debate over the establishment of state police in Nigeria is gradually reaching a decisive point, noting that the idea “has come to stay” as the country searches for better ways to address rising security challenges.

Disu made the remark while speaking at a security forum where stakeholders discussed the future of policing in Nigeria. According to him, the current structure of centralized policing is increasingly overstretched due to Nigeria’s growing population and complex security issues such as banditry, kidnapping and communal conflicts.

He explained that creating state police would allow local governments and communities to respond faster to security threats, since officers operating at the state level would better understand the terrain, language and social dynamics of the areas they serve.

The senior police officer emphasized that proper legislation, training and accountability mechanisms would be crucial to ensure that state police are not abused by political actors. He noted that many countries operate decentralized policing systems successfully, which Nigeria could learn from.

Disu also stressed that collaboration between federal and state policing structures would remain essential to maintain national security and coordination in tackling crimes that cut across state boundaries.

The call for state police has been a major topic in Nigeria’s constitutional reform discussions, with many political leaders, security experts and civil society groups advocating for the move as a way to strengthen grassroots security and improve response to local threats.

While the proposal continues to generate debate, Disu maintained that conversations across government institutions show that the country is moving steadily toward adopting the system.