Astronomers have confirmed that ASASSN-24fw dimmed by an extraordinary 97% over a period of more than nine months, starting in late 2024 making it one of the longest and deepest stellar eclipses ever recorded. The star, located in the Monoceros constellation, was monitored through sky surveys that track brightness changes in stars over time. The data clearly shows a prolonged and structured drop in light, far beyond what a normal planet could cause. Scientists say the most likely explanation is a massive ringed object passing in front of the star either a brown dwarf or a super Jupiter–type planet. Unlike typical transits that last hours or days, this event stretched across months, pointing to something enormous in size. The ring system itself is estimated to span about 16 million miles (25 million km), making it one of the largest ever inferred. As different parts of the rings moved across the star, they created layered dimming patterns, which allowed astronomers to study the...
Nigeria’s newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has taken his first major step in office by setting up a committee to examine the possible establishment of state police across the country.
The move comes amid mounting security concerns in several regions of Nigeria, where communities have faced rising attacks from armed groups, bandits, kidnappers, and separatist militias.
Disu, who was recently sworn in as the 23rd Inspector-General of Police, inaugurated a high-level committee tasked with developing a framework that could guide the implementation of state-controlled policing systems.
What the Committee Will Do
According to the police leadership, the committee will analyze how state police could operate within Nigeria’s security structure.
Its responsibilities include:
Reviewing policing models used in other countries
Assessing security needs across Nigeria’s regions
Proposing a framework for coordination between federal and state police forces
Addressing recruitment, training, and funding challenges
Developing oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse of power
The committee is expected to submit recommendations that could influence national policy discussions about decentralizing Nigeria’s police system.
The idea of state police has long been one of Nigeria’s most controversial security debates.
Supporters argue that locally controlled police forces could respond faster to crime and understand regional threats better than the centralized national force.
Critics, however, fear that state governors could misuse such forces for political purposes or to suppress opponents.
Despite the controversy, momentum behind the proposal has grown in recent years as Nigeria continues to face widespread security challenges.
The push for state police has also gained backing from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has encouraged lawmakers to consider constitutional amendments that would allow states to establish their own policing systems.
Nigeria currently operates a single centralized police force, meaning state governors rely heavily on federal police units for security operations.
Disu’s committee is expected to provide the professional input needed to guide the government and the National Assembly as the debate moves forward.
The decision to launch the committee signals that the Nigerian government may be closer than ever to implementing a major policing reform.
With security pressures rising and calls for localized policing growing louder, the question of whether Nigeria should adopt state police is once again at the center of national debate.
For now, the committee’s findings could shape what many believe may become one of the most significant security reforms in Nigeria’s modern history.
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