President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across Nigeria.
The inauguration, held on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was performed on the President’s behalf by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The move follows the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly. The constitutional amendment proposes a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
Speaking at the event, President Tinubu explained that while the constitutional amendment establishes the framework for state police, the proposed 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,” the President said.
According to him, the proposed legislation will address key issues necessary for the effective operation of state police, including minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability mechanisms, human rights safeguards and fiscal requirements.
Tinubu said the Working Group had been constituted to produce a technically sound and implementation-ready draft bill for transmission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed.
He stressed the need to begin preparations ahead of the conclusion of the constitutional amendment process to avoid unnecessary delays in implementing the reform.
Gbajabiamila will chair the committee, which comprises 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.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun pledged the governors’ support for the speedy implementation of the state police initiative.
He said governors would work to ensure the constitutional amendment receives prompt approval by their respective State Houses of Assembly once transmitted.
Abiodun described the proposed state police as a response to Nigerians’ long-standing demand for community-based policing and noted that the reform builds on the successes recorded by regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.
According to him, the initiative would significantly boost Nigeria’s security workforce.
“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 also commended President Tinubu for initiating implementation plans before the constitutional amendment process is concluded, describing the move as evidence of the administration’s proactive approach.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), described the initiative as timely in light of the country’s security challenges.
He urged state governors to facilitate the speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by their respective State Houses of Assembly, describing the exercise as a shared national responsibility.
Also speaking, Nigerian Bar Association President Afam Osigwe reaffirmed the association’s support for the establishment of state police, saying Nigeria could no longer be effectively policed by a single national police force.
Osigwe, however, stressed the need for adequate legal safeguards to prevent abuse of the proposed state police system.
“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 national security while protecting the rights of citizens.
The inauguration was attended by 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.
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