‎State Police Framework Near Completion as Tinubu Pushes Constitutional Amendment

‎ The Federal Government has announced significant progress toward the establishment of state police, with a constitutional amendment expected soon to pave the way for the long-awaited reform of Nigeria’s security architecture.
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Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement quoted the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday as saying this after a high-level consultative meeting on state policing convened by the Presidency at the State House in Abuja.
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‎According to Gbajabiamila, discussions on the proposed state police framework commenced several months ago following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and have now advanced considerably.
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‎He noted that while there is broad national support for the initiative, establishing state police requires extensive constitutional and legal processes that cannot be rushed.
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‎“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 constitutional and legal issues, and thankfully, we have now gained significant traction,” he said.
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‎Gbajabiamila revealed that attention is currently focused on the constitutional amendment required to create the legal foundation for state police, after which enabling legislation will be introduced to guide its implementation and operations.
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‎He expressed optimism that the constitutional amendment would be presented soon, adding that details of the proposed changes would be made public in due course.
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‎The Chief of Staff emphasized that the debate has largely shifted from whether Nigeria should adopt state police to how the system should be structured to ensure effectiveness, accountability, and alignment with the nation’s legal framework.
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‎He added that President Tinubu, a longstanding advocate of decentralized policing, would receive a comprehensive report on the outcome of the consultations.
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‎The meeting forms part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to develop a workable framework for state police, a move aimed at strengthening internal security, improving intelligence gathering at the grassroots level, and enhancing the ability of state governments to respond to emerging security threats.
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‎President Tinubu has repeatedly argued that state police is a necessary response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, maintaining that a decentralized policing structure would improve the protection of lives and property across the country.
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‎Among dignity who attended the meeting were Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, 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 Kayode Egbetokun, alongside other senior government officials.
‎Alternative headline: Tinubu’s State Police Plan Gains Momentum as Constitutional Amendment Nears
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