PSC rolls out plan for state policing

As preparations continue for the successful implementation of state police, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has unveiled a roadmap for its implementation, urging the implementation committee to carefully review the foundational issues affecting the Nigeria Police Force.

According to a statement by the spokesperson of the commission, Mr Torty Njoku Kalu, the Chairman of the PSC, DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu (rtd), unfolded the roadmap when he received the Committee for the Implementation of State Police, led by Professor Olu Ogunsakin, during a working visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The statement explained that the delegation sought to leverage the institutional memory and expertise of the PSC Board, recognising its central role in the country’s policing landscape.

Professor Ogunsakin described the task before the committee as monumental, stressing the need for guidance from the commission.

According to him, “We cannot do it alone without tapping into the wisdom of the PSC. We are here to benefit from your knowledge to review the landscape, structure, and foundation that will assist the Nigeria Police Force moving forward,” he said, describing DIG Argungu as a “fountain of knowledge.”

While responding, DIG Argungu presented a detailed, step-by-step approach for actualising effective state policing.

He urged the committee to examine the root causes driving the demand for state police, identify lessons from past challenges, and make the necessary reforms.

According to him, “Find out what went wrong that necessitated the quest for the creation of state police.”

He highlighted the importance of clarifying the relationship between federal and state offences, distinguishing public from private wrongs, and reviewing obsolete laws in the context of the 21st century.

DIG Argungu, who also recommended studying countries with successful state police models, analysing their challenges, and adapting lessons to the Nigerian context, assured the committee that it should request additional time if needed to ensure a thorough and effective outcome.

The committee’s mandate is to propose an operational framework for the establishment and coordination of state police structures, covering recruitment, training standards, and resource allocation.