Tinubu Inaugurates Committee to Draft National Policing Bill for State Police Implementation

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a Presidential Working Group to draft the National Policing Bill, marking a major step towards the implementation of state police across Nigeria.

The inauguration, held on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, followed the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly, which proposes a dual policing system comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, President Tinubu said while the constitutional amendment provides the legal basis for state police, the National Policing Bill would establish the operational framework 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 critical issues including minimum policing standards, certification of states’ readiness, federal-state coordination, accountability mechanisms, human rights safeguards and fiscal requirements for state police operations.

Tinubu said the Working Group was constituted to produce an implementation-ready draft bill for transmission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed.

He explained that the committee was inaugurated ahead of the conclusion of the constitutional process to prevent unnecessary delays in implementing the new policing structure.

Gbajabiamila will chair the committee, with membership drawn from key stakeholders, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), National Security Adviser, Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun pledged the governors’ commitment to ensuring the speedy implementation of the reform.

He said governors would work with their respective State Houses of Assembly to facilitate the prompt ratification of the constitutional amendment once transmitted.

Abiodun described state police as a response to Nigerians’ long-standing demand for community-based policing, noting that the initiative builds on the successes of regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.

He added that if each state recruits about 6,000 personnel, the country could gain nearly 200,000 additional security officers to complement the Nigeria Police Force.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), described the initiative as timely, citing the country’s prevailing security challenges.

He urged governors to ensure swift passage of the constitutional amendment by their state legislatures, describing the reform as a shared national responsibility.

Also speaking, NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN) reaffirmed the association’s support for the establishment of state police but stressed the need for strong legal safeguards to prevent abuse of power.

He said the proposed legislation must guarantee accountability, protect citizens’ rights and ensure that state police are not used as instruments of oppression.

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.