The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has said the proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria is inevitable, assuring that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is ready to support the process and contribute to its successful implementation.

Disu made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja shortly after he was sworn in as the 23rd Inspector-General of Police. He described the introduction of state police as a partnership that would strengthen security architecture across the country rather than replace the role of the federal police.

According to him, a committee was inaugurated earlier in the day to examine the concept of state police from the perspective of the Nigeria Police Force.

“The committee was set up early this morning to look into the issue of state police from the angle of the Nigerian police,” Disu said.

“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 chief also dismissed concerns that the creation of state police could threaten the role of the existing federal police structure.

“The police are not afraid; our jobs are not being taken. It is an issue of partnership,” he added.

Disu noted that the committee tasked with overseeing the implementation of state police will be chaired by Olu Ogunsakin. The panel is expected to develop an operational framework that will guide the establishment and coordination of state police structures across the country.

The push for state police has gained momentum under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, who has repeatedly pledged to introduce the initiative as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.

To facilitate the move, Tinubu recently asked the National Assembly of Nigeria to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to provide a legal framework for the establishment of state-controlled police forces.

The National Assembly has since commenced the constitutional amendment process aimed at enabling the creation of a decentralised policing system in Nigeria.