The Federal Government has taken a major step toward establishing state policing in Nigeria, inviting citizens, civil society, and key stakeholders to submit memoranda and policy proposals to help shape the proposed National Policing Bill.
The Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill and Chief of Staff to the President, Mr FemMrbajabiamila, announced the call for public input on Monday following the group’s meeting at the State House in Abuja.
The Presidential Working Group is currently reviewing the Police Act 2020, the Police Service Commission framework, police regulations, and other relevant laws to build a comprehensive legal and operational system for a modern, dual-policing structure.
The public call for memoranda will run for two weeks, allowing contributions from citizens, professionals, security agencies, state and local governments, and academics. All submissions will be integrated into a draft Executive Bill before it undergoes national consultation and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
Outlining the core objectives of the proposed legislation, Gbajabiamila emphasised that state police forces will be held to strict operational standards to guarantee accountability and sustainability.
“A proposed State Police Service must demonstrate that it has credible arrangements for recruitment, vetting, training, pay, pensions, equipment, custody, complaints, discipline, data, firearms control, independent oversight and financial sustainability before it begins policing,” Gbajabiamila said.
Addressing public concerns over centralised control and federal overreach, the representative of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, described state policing as one of the defining reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. He clarified that the proposed legislation serves as an operational blueprint rather than a federal takeover mechanism, reassuring stakeholders that there is no federal attempt to control state police structures.
Adding to the legal safeguards, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, assured that the legislation is crafted to guarantee the security of lives and property while protecting citizens from political persecution.
“The proposed National Policing Bill is designed to guarantee the security of lives and property while ensuring that the establishment of state police does not become a tool for political persecution,” Fagbemi stated.
He further noted that states that are not immediately ready to establish their own police services will continue to rely on the Federal Police until they fulfil the necessary certification requirements.
The Working Group has adopted a seven-week timeline running from July 27 to September 14, 2026. The draft Executive Bill is expected to be presented to President Tinubu on September 3, 2026, ahead of further national consultations.
The high-level meeting was attended by prominent officials, including the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu; President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe; Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (rtd); Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Professor Olu Ogunsakin; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research, Nnadubem Moghalu; and Brigadier General Olutayo Muyiwa Adesuyi, representing the National Security Adviser. #Securitynewsalert.com
