The Presidency has announced significant progress toward the establishment of State Police across Nigeria, revealing that the constitutional framework required for its implementation is nearing completion.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after a high-level consultative meeting on state police held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Gbajabiamila, discussions on the proposed state police structure commenced several months ago following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and have since made substantial progress.
He noted that the creation of state police involves complex constitutional and legal considerations, stressing that the process requires careful planning rather than a hurried approach.
“We began deliberations three to four months ago on the establishment of state police as directed by Mr. President. This is not something that can be achieved overnight because of the constitutional and legal issues involved. Thankfully, we have made considerable progress, and we expect the constitutional amendment process to commence shortly,” he said.
Gbajabiamila explained that current efforts are focused on the necessary constitutional amendments, after which enabling legislation will be introduced to provide the legal framework for state police operations.
He further stated that there is now broad consensus across the country on the need for state police, adding that discussions have shifted from whether state police should exist to how it should be effectively structured and regulated.
The Chief of Staff disclosed that President Tinubu will receive a comprehensive report on the outcome of the consultations as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
The meeting forms part of a series of engagements by the Federal Government aimed at developing a workable framework for state policing, with the objective of improving local intelligence gathering, enhancing internal security, and empowering sub-national governments to address emerging security challenges.
Among those in attendance were Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, and Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, alongside other senior government officials.
