Tinubu inaugurates committee on State Police implementation, names Gbajabiamila, Fagbemi, others as members

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, tasking it with preparing the legal framework for the implementation of state police across Nigeria.

The inauguration took place on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with the President represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The move follows the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026 by the Senate, which proposes a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.

Speaking during the inauguration, Tinubu said while the constitutional amendment establishes the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would provide the operational structure needed for implementation.

“The Constitution Amendment Bill establishes the framework for dual policing, but it does not operationalise it. That work is left to the National Policing Bill,” the President said.

According to him, the proposed legislation will address key issues, including minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and the transition of personnel.

Tinubu said the committee had been constituted to produce a technically sound and implementation-ready draft bill for transmission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed.

“The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly,” he stated.

He added that the panel would also recommend additional legal instruments required for the smooth implementation of the proposed dual policing system.

“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” he said.

The committee is chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila and includes 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 (NBA), the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police, and a secretariat.

Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi described the initiative as timely, given the country’s current security challenges.

“There is no denying the fact that we are in a critical moment security-wise, and all hands must be on deck,” he said.

Fagbemi also urged state governors to ensure the speedy ratification of the constitutional amendment by their respective Houses of Assembly.

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

> “Nigeria can hardly be effectively policed by one national police. We fully support the constitutional amendment providing for state police,” Osigwe said.

He added that the legal framework must guarantee accountability and protect citizens’ rights.

Representing 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 move swiftly to ratify the constitutional amendment.

According to him, state police would significantly boost Nigeria’s security manpower, noting that if each state recruits about 6,000 officers, nearly 200,000 additional personnel would be added to complement the existing federal police structure.

Abiodun also said the proposal validates the success of regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West and reflects growing public demand for community-based policing.

He commended President Tinubu for initiating implementation plans even before the constitutional amendment process had been concluded, describing the move as evidence of proactive leadership.

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