By Bukola Hameed
The Presidency has disclosed that significant progress has been made toward the establishment of state police in Nigeria, with a constitutional amendment expected in the near future following months of consultations among the Executive, the National Assembly, and security agencies.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, made the disclosure on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after a high-level consultative meeting on state police held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Gbajabiamila, deliberations on the framework for state policing commenced several months ago on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and have now reached an advanced stage.
He noted that the creation of state police involves complex constitutional and legal processes that require careful consideration and broad consensus.
“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. 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,” he said.
Gbajabiamila expressed optimism that the constitutional amendment required for the initiative would be introduced soon, after which the details of the proposed framework would be made public.
He explained that current discussions are focused primarily on constitutional amendments, while the enabling legislation necessary for the operation of state police would follow afterward.
The Chief of Staff emphasized that national discourse has largely moved beyond the question of whether state police should be established, noting that attention is now centered on developing the appropriate legal and institutional structures to ensure its effectiveness and accountability.
He added that President Tinubu would receive a comprehensive report on the outcome of the meeting as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
The consultative meeting forms part of a series of engagements by the Federal Government aimed at creating a workable framework for state police. The initiative is expected to improve grassroots security, strengthen intelligence gathering, and enhance the ability of state governments to respond to emerging security threats.
President Tinubu has repeatedly advocated a decentralized policing structure, arguing that state police would provide a practical response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges and improve the protection of lives and property across the country.
Among those who attended the meeting were Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, and Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, alongside other senior government officials.
The latest development signals what may become one of the most significant reforms of Nigeria’s policing system in recent decades, as the Federal Government pushes forward with plans to decentralize law enforcement and strengthen internal security nationwide.