Tinubu Inaugurates Panel to Draft National Policing Bill, Moves to Operationalise State Police

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated a Presidential Working Group to draft the proposed National Policing Bill, a key piece of legislation expected to provide the legal framework for the implementation of state police across Nigeria.

The committee, chaired by the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, was inaugurated at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday as part of the Federal Government's efforts to lay the legal foundation for a dual policing system.

According to a statement issued by the President's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said the proposed Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which has already been passed by the National Assembly, only establishes the constitutional basis for state police but does not provide the operational framework required 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," the President said through Gbajabiamila.

He explained that the proposed legislation would define the operational structure for state policing by providing clear provisions on minimum policing standards, certification requirements for states, federal-state coordination mechanisms, accountability systems, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions.

According to Tinubu, the working group has been mandated to produce a technically sound and implementation-ready draft bill for transmission to the National Assembly.

"We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment," the President said, stressing the need to prepare the implementing legislation alongside the constitutional amendment process.

Membership of the committee includes the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, 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 for the panel.

Speaking on behalf of the governors, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun pledged the support of the Nigeria Governors' Forum for the reforms, assuring that governors would work towards speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by state Houses of Assembly once required.

Abiodun described the proposed legislation as a response to longstanding public demands for community-based policing and the decentralisation of policing powers.

"This bill has answered the cries of Nigerians about cascading policing and removing it from the Exclusive Legislative List," he said.

He also highlighted the manpower benefits of state policing, noting that if each of Nigeria's 36 states deploys approximately 6,000 police personnel, nearly 200,000 additional officers would be added to complement the existing federal police structure.

According to him, the inauguration of the committee demonstrates the Federal Government's proactive approach to ensuring a seamless transition once the constitutional amendment is fully concluded.

Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, described the initiative as timely, given Nigeria's prevailing security challenges.

"There is no denying the fact that we are in a critical moment security-wise, and all hands must be on deck," Fagbemi said.

He appealed to governors to facilitate the early passage of the constitutional amendment in their respective state assemblies, describing the process as a collective national responsibility.

"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 added.

Also lending support to the initiative, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, said the association supports the establishment of state police but stressed that adequate safeguards must be built into the law.

"Nigeria can hardly be effectively policed by one national police. We fully support the constitutional amendment providing for state police," Osigwe said.

He, however, warned that the enabling law must include strong accountability mechanisms to prevent abuse of power.

"We must ensure we do not create a monster. The right legal framework must guarantee accountability and prevent oppression," he said.

Also present at the inauguration were Attorneys-General and Commissioners for Justice from Plateau, Lagos and Ondo states, representatives of the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser, as well as other senior government officials.

The Presidential Working Group is expected to submit an implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill to the National Assembly upon the completion of its assignment.