The Presidency has announced that efforts to establish state police across Nigeria have reached an advanced stage, with a constitutional amendment expected to be introduced soon.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday after a consultative meeting on state policing held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Gbajabiamila, discussions on creating state police began several months ago following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and have since recorded significant progress.
He explained that the process requires extensive legal and constitutional considerations, stressing that such reforms cannot be implemented hastily.
“We began discussions about three to four months ago on the establishment of state police as directed by the President. It is not a process that can be completed overnight because it involves constitutional and legal issues,” he said.
Gbajabiamila noted that stakeholders have now moved beyond debating the necessity of state police and are focusing on developing an appropriate framework for its operation.
“Substantial progress has been made. We are currently looking at the constitutional amendment, while the enabling legislation will come afterwards.
Hopefully, the amendment will be introduced shortly, and details will be made available in due course,” he added.
The Chief of Staff said President Tinubu would be briefed on the outcome of the consultations, which form part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
He said the proposed state police system is intended to improve local intelligence gathering, enhance internal security, and empower state governments to tackle emerging security challenges more effectively.
President Tinubu has repeatedly advocated for state policing, arguing that a decentralised policing structure would improve grassroots security and provide better protection for lives and property across the country.
The meeting was attended by several senior government officials, including Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, and Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, among others.
