President Tinubu has inaugurated a seven-member panel to prepare the legal framework for implementing state police across Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a seven-member Presidential Working Group to draft the National Policing Bill that will provide the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.
The President, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, inaugurated the panel on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja.
Gbajabiamila will chair the committee, whose members include 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 secretariat will provide administrative support to the panel.
The inauguration follows the National Assembly’s recent passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which proposes a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
According to the President, while the constitutional amendment establishes the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill will provide the legal structure 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,” Tinubu said.
He explained that the proposed legislation would address key issues required for the effective operationalisation of state police.
“The proposed National Policing Bill will include provisions on minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions,” he said.
Tinubu said the committee had been constituted to produce an implementation-ready draft bill immediately after the constitutional amendment process.
“The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly,” he said.
He added that the committee was established to prevent delays once the constitutional amendment process is completed.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” the President said.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun pledged the governors’ support for the speedy implementation of the reform.
He said all 36 governors would work towards accelerating the passage of the bill by their respective state Houses of Assembly once transmitted.
Abiodun described the proposed state police as a response to longstanding demands for community-based policing.
“This bill has answered the cries of Nigerians about cascading policing and removing it from the Exclusive Legislative List,” he said.
According to him, the initiative builds on the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.
He added that state police would significantly increase the country’s security personnel.
“If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police,” Abiodun said.
He commended President Tinubu for commencing implementation plans before the constitutional amendment process is completed.
“This inauguration demonstrates the proactiveness of the Executive in preparing for effective implementation,” he added.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), described the initiative as timely given Nigeria’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 governors to ensure the speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by their state assemblies.
“I appeal to the governors to do their utmost to ensure the early passage of the constitutional amendment because this is a shared responsibility,” he said.
Also speaking, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, reaffirmed the association’s support for the establishment of state police.
“Nigeria can hardly be effectively policed by one national police. We fully support the constitutional amendment providing for state police,” he said.
Osigwe, however, stressed the need for strong legal safeguards to prevent abuse of the proposed state police.
“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 support for the committee in producing legislation that strengthens security while protecting citizens’ rights.
