The Steering Committee on state policing, led by Prof. Olu Ogunsakin, has defended its proposed 60-month implementation timeline, saying the phased approach is necessary to safeguard national security during the transition.
The committee explained that the five-year plan reflects the scale of legal reforms, personnel redeployment, institutional development and training required to establish state police without weakening existing security structures.
Details of the timeline were contained in a comprehensive report submitted to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, following the committee’s inauguration on March 4.
The proposal has generated mixed reactions, with some critics alleging deliberate delays by police authorities. However, findings indicate that the recommended 60-month period is shorter than the 71-month transition period earlier proposed by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
According to the report, the five-year window represents the minimum practical timeframe needed to redeploy over 200,000 personnel of the Nigeria Police Force across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, while simultaneously establishing new state policing institutions and maintaining federal operations.
The committee outlined a five-phase transition programme, including preparatory activities, application processing, personnel transfers, restructuring of federal police formations and final consolidation. It warned that each phase is interdependent and that compressing the schedule could undermine institutional stability and security coordination.
The first phase would involve key constitutional and legislative changes, including amendments to Sections 214 and 215 of the 1999 Constitution, passage of a State Police Act by the National Assembly and enabling laws by state governments and the FCT. It would also require the establishment of State Police Service Commissions and Ombudsman offices nationwide.
The panel noted that each state would need to build its policing system from the ground up, covering recruitment frameworks, community policing structures at the local government level, custody facilities, forensic units and digital infrastructure. It also proposed the creation of a National Police Standards Board with oversight functions across six zonal offices.
The report acknowledged that the cost of implementing the system would be high and would need to be spread over several years to ensure coordination and operational efficiency.
On personnel matters, the committee said officer redeployment would be based on voluntary transfers, supported by career guidance and welfare protections. It added that pension rights and service benefits would remain intact throughout the transition.
Special provisions, the report noted, would be made for officers within five years of retirement, those on medical leave, personnel in conflict zones and female officers requiring additional consideration.
The committee also disclosed that recruitment and training of new state police personnel would run concurrently with transfers from the federal force. The first batch of recruits is expected to begin training after the application phase and will be deployed upon completion of mandatory professional programmes.
It further revealed plans for nationwide integration of policing databases, including a National Police Intelligence Portal, a central criminal records system and an upgraded Automated Fingerprint Identification System, to be implemented in the later stages of the transition.
The panel warned that the phased rollout is designed to mitigate risks such as political interference, funding gaps, ethnic bias, intelligence breakdowns and procurement irregularities. It added that oversight and coordination mechanisms would be tested before full operational autonomy is granted to state police services.
The report also proposed that about 40 per cent of existing federal police personnel would remain within a restructured Federal Police Service, which would handle specialised national responsibilities such as counter-terrorism, border security, interstate crime and intelligence operations.
In the final stage, the committee said a nationwide performance review of state police services would be conducted, alongside possible amendments to enabling laws based on operational experience.
The committee maintained that the 60-month transition plan offers the most practical pathway for restructuring Nigeria’s policing system while ensuring public safety and protecting officers’ welfare. #Securitynewsalert.com
