The Presidency has announced significant progress toward the establishment of state police in Nigeria, revealing that a constitutional amendment to provide the legal framework for its implementation is expected in the near future.
Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after a high-level consultative meeting on state police held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the discussions followed months of engagements among the Executive, the National Assembly and key security stakeholders aimed at strengthening the country’s security architecture.
According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Gbajabiamila said deliberations on the proposed state police framework commenced about three to four months ago on the directive of President Bola Tinubu and have since recorded substantial progress.
He explained that the establishment of state police involves complex constitutional and legal considerations, making it imperative to adopt a careful and systematic approach.
“We started deliberations in the last three or four months on how to go about the establishment of state police as directed by Mr President.
“Establishing state police is not something that you do with the snap of the fingers. There is a lot involved in terms of constitution and legalities, and thank God we have now gained a lot of traction,” Gbajabiamila said.
He expressed optimism that the required constitutional amendment would be presented soon, after which details of the proposed changes would be made public.
The Chief of Staff noted that discussions have advanced beyond the conceptual stage and are now focused on drafting the constitutional amendments that will provide the legal basis for state policing, with enabling legislation to follow.
According to him, national consensus has largely been achieved on the need for state police, shifting the focus of discussions from whether it should be established to how it should be structured and operated within Nigeria’s federal system.
Gbajabiamila added that President Tinubu, a longstanding advocate of state police, would receive a comprehensive report on the outcome of the consultations.
He said the initiative forms part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to develop a workable framework capable of improving internal security, enhancing local intelligence gathering and empowering sub-national governments to respond more effectively to emerging security threats.
President Tinubu has consistently argued that Nigeria’s evolving security challenges require a more decentralised policing system, maintaining that state police would strengthen grassroots security operations and improve the protection of lives and property across the country.
The consultative meeting was attended by the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, alongside other senior government officials.
