FG Nears Completion Of Constitutional Framework For State Police

The Federal Government has moved closer to the establishment of state police, with the Presidency revealing that work on the constitutional framework for its implementation is at an advanced stage following months of consultations with key stakeholders.

This was disclosed on Thursday by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, after a high-level consultative meeting on state policing held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to Gbajabiamila, discussions on the proposed state police structure commenced three to four months ago following a directive by President Bola Tinubu, adding that deliberations have now reached a critical stage.

He explained that while there is broad agreement on the need for state police across the country, the process requires extensive constitutional and legal reforms to ensure an effective, accountable and sustainable policing system.

“We began discussions about three to four months ago on how to establish state police, as directed by President Tinubu. This is not something that can be achieved overnight because it involves critical constitutional and legal considerations,” he said.

Gbajabiamila noted that significant progress has been made and disclosed that the constitutional amendment required for the creation of state police would soon be presented.

“At this stage, our focus is on the constitutional amendment. The enabling legislation will follow thereafter. Those are the issues we have been examining during our deliberations,” he added.

He further stated that discussions have evolved from debating the necessity of state police to addressing key issues such as oversight mechanisms, accountability structures, funding arrangements and operational effectiveness.

The Chief of Staff said President Tinubu, who has consistently advocated for state policing, would be presented with a comprehensive report detailing the outcome of the consultations.

According to him, the initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture through decentralised policing and improved local intelligence gathering.

Supporters of state police argue that the system would enhance grassroots intelligence, improve rapid response to security threats and enable state governments to tackle local security challenges more effectively.

President Tinubu has repeatedly maintained that state police remains a critical component of efforts to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges and improve the protection of lives and property nationwide.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, as well as other senior government and security officials.