State Police: Tinubu launches Committee on implementation bill By Ladidi Al-Hassan
State Police: Tinubu launches Committee on implementation bill
By Ladidi Al-Hassan
President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, marking a major step towards establishing a legal framework for the implementation of state police across Nigeria.
The inauguration, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was performed on the President’s behalf by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, according to a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
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 Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
Tinubu explained that while the constitutional amendment provides the foundation for state policing, the proposed National Policing Bill would establish the legal and operational framework required for its implementation.
“The Constitution Amendment Bill establishes the framework for dual policing, but it does not operationalise it.
That work is left to the National Policing Bill,” the President said.
He noted that the proposed legislation would address critical issues, including minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability mechanisms, human rights safeguards and fiscal requirements.
According to the President, the committee has been tasked with producing a technically sound, implementation-ready draft bill for transmission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is concluded.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” Tinubu said.
Gbajabiamila will chair the working group, with members drawn from key institutions, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police.
A dedicated secretariat will provide administrative support.
Speaking on behalf of the governors, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun pledged the NGF’s full support for the reform, assuring that governors would work to ensure speedy consideration of the constitutional amendment by their respective state Houses of Assembly.
He described the proposed state police system as a long-awaited response to Nigerians’ demand for community-based policing and said it would build on the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.
Abiodun added that the initiative could significantly strengthen the country’s security architecture.
“If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police,” he said.
He also commended President Tinubu for commencing implementation preparations ahead of the completion of the constitutional amendment process, describing the move as evidence of proactive leadership.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), described the initiative as timely, given the nation’s security challenges.
“There is no denying the fact that we are in a critical moment security-wise, and all hands must be on deck,” Fagbemi said.
He urged state governors to facilitate the prompt ratification of the constitutional amendment by their Houses of Assembly, stressing that the reform requires collective commitment.
Also speaking, NBA President Afam Osigwe reaffirmed the association’s support for state police, arguing that Nigeria could no longer be effectively policed by a single national police force.
While backing the constitutional amendment, Osigwe emphasised the need for strong legal safeguards to prevent abuse of state police powers.
“We must ensure we do not create a monster. The right legal framework must guarantee accountability and prevent oppression,” he said.
He pledged the NBA’s continued support in assisting the committee to produce legislation that would strengthen national security while protecting citizens’ rights.
Among those present at the inauguration were the Attorneys-General and Commissioners for Justice of Plateau, Lagos and Ondo states, representatives of the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser, as well as other senior government officials.
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