By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across Nigeria, marking a major step towards overhauling the country’s policing architecture.
The inauguration, held on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was performed on behalf of the President by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The move follows the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly, which proposes a dual policing system comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
Speaking at the inauguration, Tinubu said that while the constitutional amendment establishes the legal foundation for state police, the proposed National Policing Bill would provide the framework for its practical implementation.
According to the President, the bill will contain provisions on minimum policing standards, certification of states’ readiness, coordination between federal and state police authorities, accountability mechanisms, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions required for the operation of state police.
He explained that the newly inaugurated working group was constituted to produce a technically sound and implementation-ready draft bill for transmission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is concluded.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” the President said, stressing the need to prevent delays in implementing the proposed policing reform.
Gbajabiamila will chair the committee, which comprises the Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police. A secretariat has also been established to provide administrative support.
Speaking on behalf of the governors, Dapo Abiodun pledged the support of the 36 state governors for the speedy implementation of the initiative, assuring that governors would work to ensure quick passage of the constitutional amendment by their respective state Houses of Assembly.
Abiodun described the proposed state police as a response to Nigerians’ long-standing demand for community-based policing, saying it would decentralise law enforcement and build on the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.
He added that the initiative could significantly boost Nigeria’s security workforce, estimating that if each state recruited about 6,000 personnel, nearly 200,000 additional officers would be deployed to complement the existing federal police.
The governor also commended Tinubu for commencing implementation plans before the constitutional amendment process is completed, describing the move as evidence of the administration’s proactive approach to governance.
Also speaking, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, described the initiative as timely in view of Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
He urged state governors to facilitate the prompt ratification of the constitutional amendment by their legislatures, noting that the success of the reform depends on collective action.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, reaffirmed the association’s support for the establishment of state police, arguing that Nigeria can no longer be effectively policed through a single national police force.
However, Osigwe cautioned that the proposed legislation must contain adequate safeguards to prevent abuse of power and ensure accountability, warning that the country must avoid creating institutions that could be used to oppress citizens.
He pledged the NBA’s commitment to working with the committee to develop legislation that strengthens national security while protecting the rights and freedoms of Nigerians.
Precise Post recalls that others 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.
