President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated a Presidential Working Group tasked with preparing the National Policing Bill, a major step toward the implementation of state police across Nigeria.
The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with the President represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The move follows the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026 by the National Assembly, which proposes a dual policing structure comprising the existing Federal Police Service alongside newly established State Police Services in all 36 states.
Legal Framework for State Police
Speaking during the inauguration, President Tinubu explained that while the constitutional amendment provides the legal foundation for state policing, a comprehensive National Policing Bill is required to define how the new system will operate.
According to the President, the proposed legislation will spell out the operational guidelines for state police, including minimum policing standards, state eligibility requirements, funding arrangements, coordination between federal and state security agencies, accountability measures, and safeguards for the protection of human rights.
He noted that the objective is to produce a technically sound and implementation-ready bill that can be transmitted to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is concluded.
Tinubu stressed that work on the bill must begin now to avoid unnecessary delays once the constitutional amendment receives final approval.
Gbajabiamila to Lead Committee
Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila will chair the Presidential Working Group.
Other members include the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, the National Security Adviser, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), and the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police. A dedicated secretariat will provide administrative support to the committee.
Governors Back State Police Reform
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun welcomed the initiative, describing state policing as a long-awaited reform that will strengthen community-based security across the country.
He assured that governors would work closely with their respective State Houses of Assembly to ensure the speedy consideration and ratification of the constitutional amendment.
Abiodun said the creation of state police would significantly expand Nigeria’s security workforce, estimating that if each state recruits about 6,000 officers, the country could add nearly 200,000 new security personnel to complement the existing federal police.
He also pointed to the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun as evidence that decentralised policing can effectively improve local security.
Legal Experts Seek Strong Safeguards
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), described the initiative as a timely response to Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
He urged state governors to facilitate the prompt approval of the constitutional amendment by their respective legislatures, noting that security remains a collective responsibility.
Also speaking, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Afam Osigwe reiterated the association’s support for state police but warned that the new system must be backed by strong legal safeguards to prevent political interference, abuse of power, and violations of citizens’ rights.
He pledged the NBA’s commitment to supporting the drafting process to ensure the final legislation strengthens security while upholding the rule of law.
The inauguration was attended by attorneys-general and commissioners for justice from several states, representatives of the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser, as well as other senior government officials.
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