President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a seven-man Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.
Tinubu, represented by his chief of staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, inaugurated the panel on Tuesday at State House, Abuja.
The inauguration followed the Senate’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, proposing a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
President Tinubu said while the constitutional amendment creates the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure for its implementation.
He said, “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.”
President Tinubu further said that the proposed legislation would address policing standards, state readiness, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards, and personnel transition.
The president said that the committee would 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,” President Tinubu said.
He stated that the committee would also recommend other legal instruments required for the smooth implementation of the dual policing system.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” he said.
Gbajabiamila will serve as the chairman of the committee, while members include the attorney general of the federation, national security adviser, and inspector general of police.
Others are the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police, and a secretariat. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, described the initiative as timely in view of Nigeria’s security challenges.
He stated, “We cannot ignore the fact that we are currently facing a critical security situation, and everyone must contribute.”
Fagbemi urged governors to ensure speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by their respective state assemblies.
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Afam Osigwe, reaffirmed the association’s support for the State Police initiative.
“Nigeria needs more than one national police to be effectively policed. He stated, “We fully support the constitutional amendment that provides for state police.”
Osigwe, however, stressed the need for adequate legal safeguards to prevent abuse of 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 commitment to supporting the committee in producing legislation that will strengthen security while protecting citizens’ rights.
Speaking on behalf of the NGF, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State pledged governors’ support for the speedy implementation of the reform.
He said the plan is for the 36 state governors to accelerate work on the bill once it gets to their various houses of assembly and is passed unanimously.
“The plan is that when the bill gets to our various Houses of Assembly, we will all pass it on the same day,” he said.
Abiodun described the proposed state police as a response to Nigerians’ long-standing demand for community-based policing. “This bill has answered the cries of Nigerians about cascading policing and removing it from the Exclusive Legislative List.”
The governor said the initiative validated the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.
“This bill has validated the effectiveness of community policing as demonstrated by Amotekun in the South-West,” he said.
Abiodun stated that the state police would significantly increase the number of security personnel across the country.
He said, “If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police.”
The governor commended President Tinubu for initiating implementation plans before the constitutional amendment process was completed.
“This inauguration demonstrates the proactiveness of the executive in preparing for effective implementation,” Governor Abiodun said.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
