Tinubu Appoints Gbajabiamila, AGF to State Police Implementation Panel

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, tasking the committee with preparing the legal framework needed to implement state police across Nigeria.

The inauguration, carried out on his behalf by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, came after the Senate approved the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which proposes a dual policing system consisting of the Federal Police Service and separate police services for each of the 36 states.

The President said the constitutional amendment only creates the legal basis for state police, while the proposed National Policing Bill would provide the rules required to make the new system operational.

According to him, the legislation will cover issues such as policing standards, conditions states must meet before establishing their police services, cooperation between federal and state authorities, accountability measures, protection of human rights, funding arrangements and the movement of personnel into the new structure.

Tinubu explained that the committee was set up to prepare a draft bill that would be ready for submission to the National Assembly once the constitutional amendment process is completed.

He added that the panel would also recommend any additional legal instruments needed to ensure a smooth transition to the dual policing arrangement, saying work on the implementation should begin before the amendment process is fully concluded.

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 forum’s Committee on State Police and the committee’s secretariat.

Fagbemi described the initiative as necessary in view of the country’s security situation. He also appealed to state governors to ensure the constitutional amendment receives quick approval from their respective state Houses of Assembly once it reaches them.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, said the association supports the creation of state police because a single national police force cannot effectively secure the entire country. He, however, stressed that the new law must include safeguards that will prevent abuse of power and protect the rights of citizens. He assured the committee of the NBA’s cooperation throughout the drafting process.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun said governors were committed to ensuring the reform succeeds. He disclosed that plans were already in place for state legislatures to consider and approve the constitutional amendment without delay once it is transmitted to them.

Abiodun said the proposed state police system responds to long-standing calls for community-based policing and reflects the success recorded by regional security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West. He added that if every state recruits about 6,000 officers, nearly 200,000 additional security personnel would be added to support the existing federal police force.

The Ogun governor also praised the Federal Government for beginning preparations before the constitutional amendment is completed, describing the move as a practical step towards ensuring the new policing structure can begin operations without unnecessary delays.