President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, taking a definitive step toward establishing state police across Nigeria. Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, the President launched the panel at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The move follows the National Assembly’s recent passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which proposes a dual policing architecture comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 distinct State Police Services.
The newly formed committee is tasked with developing a technically robust, implementation-ready draft bill to submit to the National Assembly. This legal framework will manage critical operational parameters, including minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability safeguards, and fiscal conditions.
Legal Framework for Dual Policing
While the ongoing constitutional amendment creates the foundational framework for decentralized law enforcement, the executive is moving swiftly to ensure the policy can be executed without delay once the amendment process concludes.
“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 stated during the inauguration. “We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment.”
The committee will be chaired by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila. Its high-level membership includes 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, and the Inspector-General of Police.
Governors Pledge Accelerated Approval
Reacting to the development, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum expressed full alignment with the presidency’s timeline. State executives intend to fast-track the legislative processes required at the sub-national level to prevent bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“This bill has answered the cries of Nigerians about cascading policing and removing it from the Exclusive Legislative List,” said Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, representing the NGF. “The plan is for the 36 state governors to accelerate work on the bill once it reaches their respective Houses of Assembly and is passed unanimously.”
Governor Abiodun noted that the initiative validates the success of regional security efforts like Amotekun in the South-West. He estimated that if each state deploys a baseline of 6,000 personnel, nearly 200,000 officers will be added nationwide to complement existing federal law enforcement.
Ensuring Safeguards Against Abuse
The federal government and legal community emphasized that the transition requires strict oversight mechanisms to succeed. Chief law officers and legal practitioners noted that state-level policing must coexist harmoniously with federal structures without compromising civil liberties.
“There is no denying the fact that we are in a critical moment security-wise, and all hands must be on deck,” stated the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. “I appeal to the governors to do their utmost to ensure the early passage of the constitutional amendment because this is a shared responsibility.”
Adding to the call for structural safeguards, the legal community warned against potential political weaponization of local law enforcement units.
“Nigeria can hardly be effectively policed by one national police. We fully support the constitutional amendment providing for state police,” said NBA President, Mr. Afam Osigwe. “We must ensure we do not create a monster. The right legal framework must guarantee accountability and prevent oppression.”
The inauguration was attended by senior government officials, including the Attorneys-General and Commissioners for Justice of Lagos, Ondo, and Plateau states, alongside key security representatives.
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