Tinubu Inaugurates State Police Committee, Names Gbajabiamila, AGF, IGP Members

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for implementing state police across Nigeria.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the President said the committee would develop an implementation ready National Policing Bill to support the recently passed Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026.

The constitutional amendment proposes a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.

Tinubu explained that while the constitutional amendment establishes the legal basis for state police, the National Policing Bill would provide the operational framework required for implementation.

He said the proposed legislation would address minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal and state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards, fiscal conditions and the transition of personnel.

According to the President, the committee is expected to produce a technically robust draft bill for transmission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed.

He added that the panel would also recommend additional legal instruments necessary for the successful implementation of the dual policing system.

Gbajabiamila will chair the committee, while members include the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police and a secretariat.

Fagbemi described the initiative as timely in view of Nigeria’s growing security challenges and urged governors to ensure speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by their respective state assemblies.

President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, reaffirmed the association’s support for state police but stressed the need for strong legal safeguards to prevent abuse and protect citizens’ rights.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun pledged the support of governors for the reform and expressed optimism that all 36 state assemblies would consider the constitutional amendment promptly.

He described the proposed state police as a response to long standing calls for community based policing and said it validates the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun.

Abiodun added that if each state recruits about 6,000 personnel, nearly 200,000 additional officers would be deployed nationwide to strengthen internal security.