State police: We studied US, India, Pakistan models before drafting

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu on Thursday said the committee that developed the framework for the proposed state police system studied policing models in India, the United States and Pakistan before submitting its recommendations.

The IGP disclosed this at a one-day workshop on state policing organised by the Nigeria Police Institute, where he urged police personnel to play an active role in shaping the national conversation on the proposed establishment of state police through informed engagement, objective analysis and public enlightenment.

Describing the workshop as a timely platform for critical reflection on one of Nigeria’s most significant security policy debates, Disu stressed the need for police personnel to remain well informed as discussions on the proposed reform continue across the country.

“As discussions on the creation of state police continue to gain momentum across the country, members of the Nigeria Police Force must remain well informed and contribute constructively to the ongoing discourse,” he said.

He added that the workshop would enable participants to examine the implications of state policing, raise pertinent questions, address legitimate concerns and make meaningful contributions to national policy discussions on policing and internal security.

Speaking on the work that produced the proposed framework, the IGP said the committee undertook extensive comparative studies of state policing systems in other countries before drafting its recommendations.

“A lot of comparative analysis has been done. We took time to study countries where state police exists—India, the United States and even Pakistan—and how the system works there,” he said.

Disu also disclosed that state governors had completed work on their own framework.

“The governors have already set up their committees. They have concluded their work. We started late, but we caught up with them, and I’m happy to say that our work is what they are deliberating on today,” he said.

According to him, the police committee produced the initial framework within 17 days.

“I think it took us only 17 days to come up with a framework that has become the foundation of what everybody is working on today. We still need to put some finishing touches to it,” he added.

The IGP further revealed that former Inspectors-General of Police had reviewed the document and made recommendations to strengthen it.

“Retired Inspectors-General of Police have visited me, expressed their concerns and made valuable contributions to the framework after extensive deliberations,” he said.

He urged participants to approach the workshop with seriousness and make meaningful contributions to the ongoing efforts to develop an effective state policing framework for the country.

Recalling the committee’s early deliberations, Disu said there were initial disagreements over whether the Nigeria Police Force should develop its own framework, as some believed the decision to establish state police had already been taken.

“When we were about to begin, there were arguments that the decision had already been taken and that we should remain complacent and do nothing. I’m glad we quickly agreed to set up a committee,” the IGP said.