From Our Correspondent
Abuja, July 8, ’26 (TNZ) President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.
TheNewsZenith reports that Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), announced this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Onanuga stated that the Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, representing the President, inaugurated the panel at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The inauguration followed the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026.
In the bill, the President proposes a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
The President said that while the constitutional amendment creates the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure 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,” TheNewsZenith quotes the President as stating.
He said the proposed legislation would address issues necessary for the smooth operation of the State Police system.
According to him, the bill will include provisions on minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions.
The President said that the committee will produce an implementation-ready draft bill immediately after the constitutional amendment process.
“We have constituted a Working Group to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly.
“The committee is necessary to avoid delays after the passage of the State Police Bill.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” TheNewsZenith quotes Tinubu as saying.
Gbajabiamila will serve as the committee’s chairman. Members include the Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
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Others include the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police. A Secretariat will offer some administrative assistance to the committee.
On behalf of the NGF, Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun pledged governors’ support for the implementation of the reform.
Abiodun said the 36 state governors will accelerate work on the bill once their respective Houses of Assembly pass it.
Abiodun described the proposed state police as a response to Nigerians’ long-standing demand for community-based policing.
“This bill has answered the cries of Nigerians about cascading policing and removing it from the Exclusive Legislative List.”
He said the initiative validated the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.
Abiodun said the state police would significantly increase the number of security personnel nationwide.
“If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police.”
The governor commended President Tinubu for initiating implementation plans before the completion of the constitutional amendment process.
“This inauguration demonstrates the proactiveness of the Executive in preparing for effective implementation,” Abiodun said.
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The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, described the initiative as timely in view of Nigeria’s security challenges.
“It is clear that we are in a critical moment security-wise, and all hands are on deck to tackle it,” he said.
Doubling as Minister of Justice, Fagbemi urged governors to ensure speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by state assemblies.
“I appeal to the governors to do their utmost to ensure the early passage of the constitutional amendment because this is a shared responsibility,” he said.
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Afam Osigwe, reaffirmed the association’s support for the state police initiative.
“Nigeria can hardly be effectively policed by one national police. We fully support the constitutional amendment providing for state police,” he said.
Osigwe, however, stressed the need for adequate legal safeguards to prevent abuse of state police.
“We must ensure we do not create a monster. The right legal framework must guarantee accountability and prevent oppression,” he said.
He pledged the NBA’s commitment to supporting the committee in producing legislation that will strengthen security while protecting citizens’ rights.
Also present at the inauguration were the Attorneys-General and Commissioners for Justice of Plateau, Lagos and Ondo States, the representatives of the Inspector-General and the National Security Adviser and senior government officials. (TNZ)
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