The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (retd.), has urged stakeholders to critically review the structural and operational weaknesses in Nigeria’s policing system as discussions on the creation of state police continue.
Argungu made this appeal while receiving members of the Committee for the Implementation of State Police during a working visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The delegation was led by its chairman, Olu Ogunsakin. In a statement released on Wednesday, the 11th of March, 2026, by the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, the committee said it visited the commission to draw from the experience and institutional insight of the PSC board while developing a workable structure for the proposed state policing arrangement.
Addressing the delegation, Argungu advised the committee to carefully study the factors that triggered widespread calls for state police across the country.
“Find out what went wrong that necessitated the quest for the creation of state police,” he said.
The PSC chairman also urged the team to look closely at how federal and state offences interact, clarify the difference between public and private wrongs, and assess how outdated laws may limit responses to modern security threats.
He further recommended examining countries where state policing structures have worked successfully, studying the difficulties they faced, and applying useful lessons to Nigeria’s situation.
Argungu also told the committee not to hesitate to seek an extension of time if necessary to allow the development of a solid and practical framework for the implementation of state police.
Earlier, Ogunsakin described the assignment before the committee as a major national task, stressing that the group would rely on the experience and guidance of the PSC.
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“We cannot do it alone without tapping from the wisdom of the PSC. We are here to tap from your wealth of knowledge regarding the task before us to review the landscape, structure and foundation to assist the Nigeria Police Force to move forward,” he said, while referring to Argungu as a “fountain of knowledge.”
Other members of the PSC board present during the meeting included Paul Adamu Galumje (retd.), the judiciary’s representative on the board; Taiwo Lakanu (retd.), representing the police; and the commission’s secretary, Onyemuche Nnamani.
The committee has the responsibility of designing an operational structure for establishing and coordinating state police formations across the country.
Its work also covers recruitment procedures, training requirements, and how resources would be distributed.