The Federal Government has announced significant progress toward the establishment of state police in Nigeria, with constitutional amendments expected soon. The Presidency says consultations among key stakeholders have moved beyond debate to designing the legal framework for a decentralised policing system.
The Presidency has revealed that Nigeria is closer than ever to establishing State Police, following months of high-level consultations involving the Executive, the National Assembly and security agencies.
Chief of Staff to President Femi Gbajabiamila disclosed the development on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after a consultative meeting on state police held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Gbajabiamila, discussions on the proposed framework began several months ago on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and have since recorded substantial progress.
He explained that the establishment of state police requires extensive constitutional and legal adjustments, making it a process that must be carefully structured rather than hastily implemented.
“We started deliberations in the last three or four months on how to go about the establishment of state police as directed by Mr President. 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,” he said.
Gbajabiamila expressed optimism that the required constitutional amendment would be introduced in the near future, after which enabling legislation would be developed to provide operational guidelines for the proposed policing structure.
He noted that discussions have now advanced beyond the conceptual stage and are focused on the specific constitutional provisions that need to be amended to accommodate state policing.
The Chief of Staff also highlighted growing national consensus on the issue, stating that the conversation is no longer centred on whether state police should exist, but on creating an effective legal and institutional framework to ensure its success.
He added that President Tinubu would receive a comprehensive report on the outcome of the consultations as the administration continues efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
The meeting forms part of a broader series of engagements organised by the Federal Government to develop a workable framework for state police, an initiative aimed at improving internal security, enhancing intelligence gathering at the grassroots level and empowering state governments to respond more effectively to local security challenges.
The Tinubu administration has consistently argued that a decentralised policing system would improve security coordination, strengthen community-based intelligence and provide faster responses to emerging threats across the country.
Among those who attended the meeting were Jibrin Barau, Benjamin Kalu, and Tunji Disu, alongside other senior government and security officials.
The latest development marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s long-running debate over policing reforms and could pave the way for one of the most far-reaching security restructurings in the country’s democratic history.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.