—New Two-Tier Policing Model Shifts Local Crimes To States
—Federal Police To Handle Terrorism, Interstate Offences
… States To Contribute Minimum 15% To Security Financing
The Federal Government has moved to overhaul Nigeria’s policing structure with a proposal that would assign homicide, armed robbery, domestic violence and other local offences to state police commands, while a federal outfit focuses on terrorism and interstate crimes.
The framework, submitted to the Senate by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, outlines a two-tier policing system designed to decentralise security operations and improve responsiveness to crime across the country.
Under the proposed arrangement, a Federal Police Service will handle national security, terrorism, interstate crimes and other federal law enforcement responsibilities, while 37 State Police Services—including the Federal Capital Territory—will be responsible for community-level policing.
A copy of the document obtained on Saturday shows that both tiers will operate simultaneously, with clearly defined roles to prevent duplication and operational conflict.
State police commands will focus on tackling local crimes within their jurisdictions, including homicide, armed robbery and domestic violence, marking a shift towards more localised crime control.
The proposal also places strong emphasis on community policing as a central pillar of the new structure.
Each state police service will be required to establish a dedicated community policing department to strengthen engagement with residents.
According to the framework, Community Policing Forums will be created at the local government level, bringing together traditional rulers, youth groups, women’s associations, religious leaders and police representatives to enhance cooperation and intelligence sharing.
Community Liaison Officers, fluent in local languages, will also be deployed to improve communication and rebuild trust between the police and the public.
The report stressed that community policing is critical to addressing the breakdown of trust between citizens and law enforcement, describing it as a major challenge to effective policing.
To ensure accountability, the proposal recommends the establishment of a National Police Standards Board to oversee recruitment, training, discipline and operational conduct across all police formations.
The board will also monitor compliance with national standards and publish performance ratings for all police services.
Concerns over potential abuse of power were addressed in the framework, which proposed safeguards to prevent political interference, particularly at the state level.
These include independent police commissions and strict penalties for unlawful orders.
… New model assigns local crimes to states, terrorism to federal units
Funding for the proposed system will come from a constitutionally backed State Police Fund, which will receive 3 per cent of allocations from the Federation Account.
In addition, states will be required to contribute at least 15 per cent of their security budgets to support the operations of their respective police services, a provision aimed at ensuring sustainability and accountability.
The framework also introduces a voluntary transfer programme for serving police officers, allowing them to move to state police formations based on preference.
Officers will be supported with financial incentives, transition training and guaranteed pension continuity.
According to the proposal, the Federal Police Service will retain about 40 per cent of personnel, while 60 per cent will be deployed to state police commands.
A 60-month phased implementation plan has been outlined, beginning with constitutional amendments by the National Assembly and followed by gradual rollout across the country.
The proposed reforms represent one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s policing architecture in decades, as authorities seek to tackle rising insecurity and longstanding concerns over the effectiveness of the current centralised policing system.
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