President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a seven-member Presidential Working Group to draft the National Policing Bill, a key piece of legislation that will provide the legal framework for implementing state police across Nigeria.
The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the State House in Abuja by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who represented Tinubu and will also chair the panel.
Other members 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. A dedicated secretariat will provide administrative support to the committee.
The inauguration follows the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which proposes the establishment of a dual policing system consisting of the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
According to President Tinubu, while the constitutional amendment lays the foundation for state policing, the National Policing Bill will provide the legal and operational framework needed to make the system functional.
He explained that the proposed legislation would address critical issues such as minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights protections, and funding arrangements.
Tinubu said the committee was established to produce an implementation-ready draft bill before the constitutional amendment process is completed, ensuring there are no delays once the amendment is ratified.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun pledged the support of all 36 state governors, promising to facilitate swift passage of the bill by state Houses of Assembly when it is transmitted.
Abiodun described the reform as a response to longstanding calls for community-based policing, noting that regional security outfits such as Amotekun have demonstrated the effectiveness of localized security initiatives. He added that state police could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s security capacity by adding nearly 200,000 officers nationwide.
Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) described the initiative as timely in light of the country’s security challenges and urged governors to expedite the ratification of the constitutional amendment.
NBA President Afam Osigwe also welcomed the move, stating that Nigeria can no longer rely solely on a centralized police system. However, he emphasized the need for strong legal safeguards to ensure accountability, protect citizens’ rights, and prevent the abuse of state police powers.
Yawa9ja.
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