The Ministry of Police Affairs has officially handed over gazetted Nigerian Police Force (NPF) regulations to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, for full implementation.

Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, said the exercise is supported by the Nigerian Police Act No 2, 2020, in Section 138, urging the IGP to ensure full compliance to transform the Police Force and bring it to global best standards.

In a welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Anuma Ogbonnaya Nlia, said the presentation of the gazetted report marks a milestone in the collective effort to reposition the NPF to be more accountable and to become an institution that will compete favourably with others in other climes.

He said the regulations were gazetted in February 2026, representing a new commitment to professionalism, discipline, transparency and respect for the rule of law.

Nlia maintained that there is a growing need for comprehensive and up-to-date police regulations in the 21st Century that align with democratic values and the general aspirations of the people.

“The regulations are therefore designed to provide clear operational guidelines, certain institutional accountability and enhanced service delivery across the force,” he said.

The ministry’s permanent secretary said the document is a product of extensive consultations and collaboration among critical stakeholders, including the NPF, the Police Service Commission, the Ministry of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission, the Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria and the involvement of the United Nations Development Programme, as well as civil societies.

The new regulations are an updated version of the 1943 Police document, which has become outdated and contradicts modern policing and global standards.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has said that the creation of state police forces is a constitutional necessity in response to Nigeria’s evolving security realities, but emphasised that such institutions must not become instruments of political control in the hands of state governors.

The rights group’s statement reflects its long-standing, principled position on the urgent need to establish truly independent state police institutions in Nigeria, as part of a broader, holistic restructuring of the country’s internal security architecture.

It called for a strong constitutional framework that guarantees operational independence of state police commands, transparent recruitment processes insulated from executive manipulation, independent oversight bodies comprising civil society, judiciary, and federal representatives, strict prohibition of political interference by state governors in policing operations, and a professional command structure based strictly on merit, competence, and seniority.

In a related development, the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting police families through welfare and empowerment initiatives.

The President of the association, Olufunmilola Disu, spoke during a courtesy visit to the IGP, Disu, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

She said POWA’s interventions are aimed at strengthening police families and, by extension, enhancing the NPF’s effectiveness.

Olufunmilola said POWA remains committed to initiatives that boost morale, promote family stability, and reinforce values of service and discipline within and outside the barracks. (The Guardian, but headline reworked)

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