Nigeria has moved closer to the establishment of state police, with the Presidency saying work on the required constitutional framework is at an advanced stage following months of consultations involving the Executive, the National Assembly and security authorities.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, while briefing State House correspondents after a consultative meeting convened at the State House, Abuja, Thursday, said deliberations on the proposed state police framework began about three to four months ago on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that the process had recorded “a lot of traction” despite the constitutional and legal complexities involved. Source
According to him, the immediate focus is on securing the necessary constitutional amendment, after which enabling legislation would be introduced to guide implementation.
“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. Hopefully, the amendment will come shortly, and the details of the amendment will come after that,” Gbajabiamila said.
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He said discussions have now moved beyond the question of whether Nigeria should adopt state police, noting that the real task is to create an appropriate legal and institutional framework for its operation.
The Chief of Staff added that President Tinubu would be briefed on the outcome of the meeting, which forms part of ongoing federal consultations aimed at developing a workable structure for decentralised policing to strengthen internal security, deepen local intelligence gathering and improve sub-national responses to emerging threats.
Those at the meeting included Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, and other senior government officials.
Tinubu’s Push for State Police
President Tinubu has repeatedly backed the creation of state police as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges. In February, he appealed to the leadership of the Senate to amend the Constitution to provide a legal framework for state police, arguing that the model had become urgent in the face of terrorism, banditry and insurgency.
Speaking during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa, Tinubu said a decentralised policing structure would strengthen grassroots security, improve intelligence-led law enforcement and enable states to respond more swiftly to threats within their jurisdictions.
“We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency… start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear,” the President said.
His latest position reinforces the administration’s broader argument that state police would complement the existing federal security architecture and provide a more community-focused response to insecurity across the country.
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