Gbajabiamila says public submissions close Thursday as proposed law seeks safeguards against political interference in state police.
The Presidency has set 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 13, 2026, as the deadline for public submissions on the proposed National Policing Bill, urging Nigerians to contribute their views to the planned establishment of state police.
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Wednesday, saying the consultation was intended to incorporate the experiences and expertise of Nigerians into the proposed legislation.
Gbajabiamila said public input would help address concerns over political interference, police misconduct, oversight and intelligence-sharing between federal and state police services.
He stressed that the proposed state police system must include safeguards to prevent governors from using the force against political opponents, protesters, journalists, minority groups and other citizens.
“Proximity does not guarantee justice. The concern that governors might use state police against political opponents, minority communities or dissenting voices is serious and must be answered in the design of the law,” he said.
According to him, state police could bring policing closer to communities and improve responses to local security challenges, particularly by deploying officers familiar with local languages, geography and crime patterns.
However, he said state police services must remain subject to the Constitution, human rights and the rule of law, while officers must be properly recruited, trained, equipped and supervised.
Gbajabiamila said the proposed Bill would establish national standards covering recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, pensions, equipment, professional conduct, use of force, complaints, discipline, independent oversight and intelligence-sharing.
He explained that the consultation would not replace the National Assembly’s role, noting that lawmakers would retain the authority to scrutinise, amend, reject or pass the Bill when transmitted.
Gbajabiamila also said the Constitution currently provides for only one police force under Section 214, making a constitutional amendment necessary before state police can be established.
He disclosed that both chambers of the National Assembly had approved proposed constitutional amendments providing for Federal Police Service and State Police Services, but said the process was not yet complete.
The amendment must subsequently be approved by at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before being transmitted to the President for assent.
He stressed that state police would remain a proposal until all constitutional and legislative requirements were completed.
Gbajabiamila further clarified that states would not automatically establish their own police services even if the constitutional amendment and National Policing Bill become law.
Each state would require its own enabling law, institutions and funding and must meet national conditions before commencing operations, while states that choose not to establish their own police service would continue to be served by the Nigeria Police Force.
He urged Nigerians to submit their views, particularly on safeguards against political interference, the investigation of serious police misconduct and intelligence-sharing between federal and state forces.