State Police amendment is advancing, the Presidency says, with constitutional changes expected after extensive consultations

The Federal Government has announced significant progress towards the establishment of state police, with a State Police Amendment to the Constitution expected soon following months of consultations involving the Presidency, the National Assembly and security agencies.

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Chief of Staff to the President, 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 in Abuja.

Gbajabiamila said discussions on the proposed policing framework commenced several months ago on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and have since recorded substantial progress.

According to him, the government is now focused on finalising the constitutional framework required to establish state police before proceeding with the enabling legislation.

“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,” Gbajabiamila 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.

“Hopefully, the amendment will come shortly, and the details of the amendment will come after that.”

The Chief of Staff explained that discussions during the meeting centred on the constitutional changes needed to support the initiative, describing the process as a crucial stage in the reform effort.

“Right now, what we are looking at is the constitutional amendment itself, and then the enabling law would follow thereafter.

That is what we have been deliberating on in the last couple of hours,” he added.

A notable development from the consultations is the growing consensus among key stakeholders on the need for state police, with attention now shifting from whether it should be established to how it should be structured and regulated.

Gbajabiamila said President Tinubu, a longstanding advocate of decentralised policing, would receive a comprehensive report detailing the outcome of the meeting and recommendations from participants.

The Federal Government has argued that state police could strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture by improving local intelligence gathering, enhancing rapid response capabilities and empowering sub-national governments to address security threats more effectively.

Supporters of the proposal believe a decentralised policing model would provide a more agile and responsive system capable of tackling region-specific security challenges across the country.

President Tinubu has repeatedly maintained that state police represents a necessary and strategic response to Nigeria’s evolving security concerns, particularly in areas affected by banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

The consultative meeting forms part of a broader series of engagements aimed at developing a workable and legally sustainable framework for the proposed reform.

Among those in attendance 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 (SAN), and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, alongside other senior government officials.

Also read: Makinde criticises Tinubu over state police delay

The anticipated State Police Amendment is expected to spark further national debate as lawmakers and stakeholders consider its implications for governance, security and federalism in Nigeria.