Tinubu Inaugurates Gbajabiamila-Led Panel to Draft National Policing Bill for State Police Implementation

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a seven-member Presidential Working Group tasked with developing the legal framework for the implementation of state police across Nigeria, marking a significant step toward the country’s proposed dual policing system.

The committee, chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Other members of the working group 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.

The inauguration follows the recent passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly. The constitutional amendment seeks to establish a dual policing structure consisting of a Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.

Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the inauguration, Gbajabiamila said the constitutional amendment alone would not be sufficient to operationalize state policing.

“The constitutional 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 in remarks delivered on his behalf.

Bill to Address Operational Framework

According to Tinubu, the proposed National Policing Bill will provide detailed guidelines for implementing state police nationwide.

The legislation is expected to contain provisions covering minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, accountability mechanisms, human rights protections, fiscal requirements, and coordination between federal and state policing authorities.

“The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly,” Tinubu stated.

He emphasized the need to begin drafting the legal framework immediately rather than waiting for the constitutional amendment process to be fully concluded.

“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” he said.

Governors Back State Police Initiative

Speaking on behalf of state governors, Dapo Abiodun pledged the support of all 36 governors toward ensuring the successful implementation of the reform.

Abiodun described the state police initiative as a response to longstanding calls by Nigerians for community-based security structures capable of addressing local security challenges more effectively.

“This bill has answered the cries of Nigerians about cascading policing and removing it from the Exclusive Legislative List,” he said.

The Ogun State governor noted that the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun Corps had demonstrated the benefits of localized policing.

He added that state police could significantly boost Nigeria’s security manpower.

“If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police,” Abiodun stated.

Stakeholders Seek Safeguards Against Abuse

Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, described the initiative as timely given Nigeria’s current 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 work closely with their state assemblies to ensure swift ratification of the constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile, NBA President, Afam Osigwe, reiterated the association’s support for state policing but stressed the need for strong legal safeguards.

“Nigeria can hardly be effectively policed by one national police. We fully support the constitutional amendment providing for state police,” Osigwe said.

However, he cautioned against creating a policing structure that could be abused by political actors.

“We must ensure we do not create a monster. The right legal framework must guarantee accountability and prevent oppression,” he added.

The committee is expected to submit an implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill to the federal government upon completion of its assignment, paving the way for the full operationalization of state police if the constitutional amendment receives final approval from state legislatures.

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