‘For complete overhaul’ — Tinubu sets up committee on police reforms

President Bola Tinubu has set up a constitutional review committee to carry out “comprehensive” police reforms.

Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, announced the development while speaking to State House correspondents at the end of a meeting of the Nigeria police council chaired by Tinubu on Tuesday.

The council at the meeting confirmed Kayode Egbetokun as the substantive inspector-general of police (IGP).

According to Mohammed, members of the committee include Ibrahim Geidam, minister of police affairs; Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA); Solomon Arase, chairman of the police service commission (PSC); and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governor of Kwara and chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).

“The confirmation of the IGP prompted further discussion on the Nigeria Police Force and the president has formed a special committee to look at all the gaps in Nigeria’s 1999 constitution with a view to bring harmony and synergy, closing technology and manpower to the Nigerian police force,” Mohammed said.

“The committee comprises the minister of police affairs, NSA, chairman of PSC, and the chairman of the NGF. They will work together with a view to make sure that the Nigeria Police is reformed.”

Also speaking, Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun, said the council observed that no meaningful reforms have taken place in the police since its creation in 1861.

He added that the committee would develop ideas that would lead to reforms that would characterize the new Nigeria police force.

“The newly confirmed IGP is adequately prepared, his CV is extremely rich, very experienced, intellectually and practically,” Abiodun said.

“He also addressed us as a council on the state of policing in Nigeria, among other things that he highlighted he spoke about the need for technology-driven policing.

“The need for community-based policing, the need to ensure that required budgetary provision is provided for community-based policing which has been proven to be very effective.

“The issue of funding also came up and this committee of four to five people will look at these issues that borders on reforms.

“We observed that there have been no meaningful reforms since the establishment of the Nigeria police force.”