President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, declaring that the implementation of state police can no longer be delayed and directing the committee to prepare the legal framework for the proposed policing system.
The inauguration took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where the President was represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Members of the working group include the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN); Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police and Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun. The committee will be supported by a dedicated secretariat.
The inauguration follows the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly, which proposes the establishment of a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 state police services.
According to Tinubu, preparations for implementing the new policing framework should begin before the constitutional amendment process is concluded.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” the President said.
He explained that while the constitutional amendment provides the legal foundation for state policing, the proposed National Policing Bill would establish the operational framework needed to make the system functional.
Tinubu said the legislation would address critical issues, including minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability mechanisms, human rights protections and funding requirements.
He added that the working group had been mandated to produce an implementation-ready draft bill for submission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun pledged the support of state governors for the reform, assuring that governors would work with their respective state assemblies to facilitate the ratification of the constitutional amendment.
Abiodun described state police as a long-awaited response to calls for community-based policing, adding that the reform could significantly increase the country’s security personnel.
“If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police,” he said.
He also commended the Federal Government for commencing implementation plans ahead of the completion of the constitutional amendment process.
Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi described the initiative as timely, given Nigeria’s current security challenges, and urged state governments to expedite the ratification process through their Houses of Assembly.
NBA President Afam Osigwe also endorsed the proposal, arguing that Nigeria’s growing population and security demands require a decentralised policing structure. He, however, stressed the need for strong legal safeguards to prevent abuse of state police powers.
Similarly, Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, said the proposed legislation contains constitutional safeguards designed to prevent political interference and misuse of state police by governors or other public officials. He noted that the bill was the product of extensive consultations involving the Presidency, National Assembly, security agencies, policing experts and other stakeholders.
Also speaking, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, said concerns over possible abuse had been addressed through robust oversight mechanisms. He argued that Nigeria’s centralised policing model is no longer adequate for a population exceeding 230 million.
“Our proposal follows the practice in other federations by allowing states to establish their own police services under a constitutional framework with defined jurisdictions, independent oversight, professional recruitment standards and coordinated command,” Kalu said.