By our Reporter
The Presidency has announced significant progress towards the establishment of state police across Nigeria, revealing that a constitutional amendment required for its implementation is expected to be unveiled soon.
Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. 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 framework began several months ago following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and have since recorded substantial progress.
He explained that the establishment of state police involves complex constitutional and legal considerations, making it a process that requires careful planning and broad stakeholder engagement.
“We started deliberations in the last three or four months on how to go about the establishment of state police as directed by Mr President,” he said.
“Establishing state police is not something that you do with the snap of the fingers. There is a lot involved in terms of constitution and legalities, and thank God we have now gained a lot of traction.”
Gbajabiamila expressed optimism that the constitutional amendment process would commence shortly, adding that details of the proposed changes would be made public in due course.
He noted that discussions have now advanced beyond the conceptual stage and are focused on the constitutional amendments required to create a legal foundation for state police, after which enabling legislation would follow.
“Right now, what we are looking at is the constitutional amendment itself, and then the enabling law would follow thereafter,” he stated.
The Chief of Staff said there is now broad national consensus on the need for state police, stressing that the debate has shifted from whether the initiative should be adopted to determining the most effective legal and institutional framework for its operation.
He added that President Tinubu would be presented with a comprehensive report on the outcome of the consultations.
The meeting forms part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to develop a workable framework for state police as part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s internal security architecture.
Advocates of the initiative believe that a decentralised policing structure will improve intelligence gathering, strengthen grassroots security, and enhance the ability of state governments to respond effectively to emerging security challenges.
President Tinubu has repeatedly argued that state police has become necessary in view of the country’s evolving security realities, maintaining that it would improve the protection of lives and property while complementing the efforts of federal security agencies.
The consultative meeting was attended by key government officials, including the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; and the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, among other senior government officials.
