Presidential panel to develop legal framework for state police as FG begins implementation plans ahead of constitutional amendment.
President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across Nigeria.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the inauguration in Abuja, the President said the proposed National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure needed to operationalise the state police system after the constitutional amendment process.
According to President Tinubu, the bill will address issues including minimum policing standards, state readiness, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and funding arrangements.
The committee, chaired by Gbajabiamila, comprises key stakeholders, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the National Security Adviser and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Speaking on behalf of the governors, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun pledged their support for the reform, describing state police as a response to Nigerians’ long-standing demand for community-based policing. He said the initiative would significantly boost the country’s security workforce.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and NBA President Afam Osigwe also backed the move, with Osigwe stressing the need for strong legal safeguards to prevent abuse and protect citizens’ rights under the proposed state police system.