The Federal Government has officially begun the next phase of implementing state policing in Nigeria with the inauguration of a Presidential Working Group tasked with drafting the National Policing Bill.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, inaugurated the committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The move follows the recent passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill by the National Assembly, which provides the constitutional basis for a dual policing system made up of the Federal Police Service and state police services.
According to the President, while the constitutional amendment creates the legal foundation for state police, a separate National Policing Bill is required to establish how the new system will function in practice.
What the Committee Will Do
The working group has been directed to prepare a comprehensive draft of the National Policing Bill that will cover key issues, including:
- Minimum operational standards for state police.
- Certification requirements for states before establishing police services.
- Coordination between federal and state security agencies.
- Accountability and oversight mechanisms.
- Human rights protections.
- Funding arrangements and personnel transition.
The committee is expected to produce an implementation-ready draft immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed.
Tinubu: State Police Can No Longer Be Delayed
President Tinubu stressed that Nigeria’s current security challenges require a more decentralized policing structure. He noted that work on the legal framework should begin immediately rather than waiting for the constitutional amendment process to be fully concluded.
The committee includes representatives from key institutions such as the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi described the initiative as timely and urged state governors to speed up the ratification of the constitutional amendment through their respective Houses of Assembly.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, also reaffirmed the association’s support for state policing, arguing that Nigeria’s growing population and security concerns make a single national police force increasingly difficult to manage effectively.
Why It Matters
If eventually implemented, state police would allow each state to establish and manage its own police service while the Federal Police Service continues to operate nationwide. Supporters believe the arrangement could improve community policing, intelligence gathering, and faster responses to local security threats, although debates continue over safeguards against political misuse.
The Story Mean Say (Pidgin Summary)
Federal Government don begin serious work to bring state police come Nigeria. President Tinubu don set up one committee wey go write the law wey go explain how state police go work, how states fit qualify, how dem go fund am, and how dem go protect citizens’ rights. The move na another major step towards making state police become reality across the country.
