President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to develop the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.
The inauguration, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was performed on the President’s behalf by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, according to a statement issued by the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.
The development 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 said while the constitutional amendment establishes the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure 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,” he said.
According to the President, the proposed legislation will address issues such as minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions.
He said the committee was constituted to produce a technically sound and implementation-ready draft bill for transmission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” Tinubu said.
The statement said Gbajabiamila would chair the committee.
Other members include the Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, 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 committee.
Speaking on behalf of the NGF, Dapo Abiodun pledged the support of state governors toward the speedy implementation of the reform.
He said governors would work with their respective Houses of Assembly to accelerate the ratification of the constitutional amendment once transmitted to the states.
Abiodun described the proposed state police system as a response to Nigerians’ longstanding demand 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.
He added that state police would significantly boost the country’s security manpower.
“If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police,” he said.
The governor commended Tinubu for commencing implementation planning before the conclusion of the constitutional amendment process.
Also speaking, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, described the initiative as timely in view of the country’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,” he said.
Fagbemi urged governors to ensure the early ratification of the constitutional amendment by their respective state legislatures.
The President of the NBA, Afam Osigwe, reaffirmed the association’s support for the state police initiative.
“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 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 support for the committee in developing legislation that would strengthen security while protecting the rights of citizens.
Also present at the inauguration were attorneys-general and commissioners for justice from Plateau, Lagos and Ondo states, representatives of the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser, as well as other senior government officials.
