FG Moves To Establish State Police, Begins New Policing Bill

The Federal Government has commenced the process of developing the legal and operational framework required for the establishment of state police across Nigeria, introducing a seven-week programme to produce a comprehensive National Policing Bill.

According to Ireporter Online, the Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed the development while addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday.

Gbajabiamila explained that the proposed legislation would provide the legal foundation for a dual policing system by clearly defining the structure, powers, responsibilities and operational procedures of both federal and state police institutions.

He stressed that, despite the progress made on constitutional amendments by the National Assembly, no state police service is currently in operation because the Constitution still recognises only the Nigeria Police Force as the country’s official policing institution.

According to him, the constitutional amendment is designed to create the legal authority and broad framework for state policing, but additional legislation is required to establish the detailed operational guidelines needed for its implementation.

The presidential aide disclosed that the Senate approved the constitutional amendment on June 24, 2026, while the House of Representatives passed the Executive State Police Bill on July 23, 2026. However, he noted that the amendment will only become effective after receiving the required approval from state Houses of Assembly.

Gbajabiamila stated that the proposed National Policing Bill would address critical issues, including command structure, operational responsibilities, funding, oversight mechanisms and accountability measures for both federal and state police services.

He added that the legislation would also define the relationship between the two policing systems while introducing safeguards to prevent abuse of power, political interference and conflicts arising from overlapping responsibilities.

The Chief of Staff maintained that the ongoing legislative process is aimed at ensuring that the proposed state police structure is backed by a comprehensive legal and operational framework before it becomes fully operational.