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President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a seven-member Presidential Working Group to draft the National Policing Bill, a key piece of legislation expected to provide the legal framework for the implementation of state police across Nigeria.
The inauguration took place on Tuesday at the State House in Abuja, with the President represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who will chair the committee.
Other members of the panel include the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe; 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. The committee will be supported by a dedicated secretariat.
The development follows the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which proposes a dual policing system consisting of the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
According to Tinubu, while the constitutional amendment establishes the legal foundation for state police, the proposed National Policing Bill will outline 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.
He explained that the legislation would address critical issues, including minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability mechanisms, human rights safeguards and funding requirements.
Tinubu said the committee was constituted to produce a technically sound and implementation-ready draft bill that would be transmitted to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed.
He stressed that work on the legislation should not be delayed until the constitutional amendment is fully concluded.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun assured the President of the governors’ commitment to ensuring the speedy implementation of the proposed reforms.
Abiodun said all 36 governors would work with their respective state Houses of Assembly to accelerate the ratification process once the constitutional amendment is transmitted.
He described the introduction of state police as a response to years of calls for community-based policing and noted that it builds on the successes recorded by regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West.
According to him, the establishment of state police would significantly boost Nigeria’s security workforce.
“If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police,” he said.
Abiodun also commended Tinubu for initiating implementation plans ahead of the completion of the constitutional amendment process, describing the move as evidence of proactive leadership.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), described the initiative as timely, citing the country’s current security challenges.
He urged governors to ensure the swift ratification of the constitutional amendment by their state legislatures, describing the process as a shared national responsibility.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, also endorsed the move, saying Nigeria could no longer rely solely on a centralised policing system to address its security needs.
Osigwe, however, called for strong legal safeguards to prevent abuse of state police powers, stressing that the legislation must guarantee accountability, protect human rights and prevent oppression.
He pledged the NBA’s support in assisting the committee to develop a legal framework that strengthens national security while safeguarding citizens’ rights.
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