President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated a Presidential Working Group to draft the legal framework for implementing state police nationwide, appointing his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to chair the committee.

According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy, the inauguration, held on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, marks the Federal Government’s next step towards operationalising state police following the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026.

Represented by Gbajabiamila, the President said while the constitutional amendment establishes the framework for a dual policing system comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services, a separate National Policing Bill is required to provide the legal foundation 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,” Tinubu said.

According to him, the proposed legislation will contain provisions on minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability mechanisms, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions to ensure effective implementation.

“The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly,” the President stated.

He added that the committee was inaugurated before the constitutional amendment process is completed to prevent unnecessary delays in rolling out the new policing structure.

“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,”:he said.

Aside from Gbajabiamila as chairman, members of the committee include the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, 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 will provide administrative support for the panel.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun pledged the governors’ commitment to ensuring the speedy implementation of the state police initiative.

He disclosed that governors would work to secure swift passage of the constitutional amendment by their respective State Houses of Assembly once the bill is transmitted.

Abiodun described the proposed state police system as a response to Nigerians’ long-standing demand for community-based policing.

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

The governor also cited the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun as evidence that decentralised policing could strengthen internal security.

He estimated that if each of the 36 states recruits about 6,000 personnel, the country would gain nearly 200,000 additional officers to complement the existing federal police force.

“If each state deploys about 6,000 personnel, we will add nearly 200,000 officers to complement the existing federal police,” Abiodun said.

He further commended Tinubu for initiating implementation plans ahead of the completion of the constitutional amendment process.

“This inauguration demonstrates the proactiveness of the Executive in preparing for effective implementation,” he added.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), described the initiative as timely given Nigeria’s worsening security situation.

“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 speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by their state legislatures.

“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 said.

Also speaking, President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, reaffirmed the association’s support for the proposed state police structure but cautioned against creating a system susceptible to abuse.

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

He, however, stressed the need for strong legal safeguards.

“We must ensure we do not create a monster. The right legal framework must guarantee accountability and prevent oppression,” he said, pledging the NBA’s support in drafting legislation that strengthens security while protecting citizens’ rights.

The inauguration was attended by the Attorneys-General and Commissioners for Justice of Plateau, Lagos and Ondo states, representatives of the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser, as well as other senior government officials.