Tinubu Unveils Fresh Appointments For Gbajabiamila, AGF, Others

President Bola Tinubu has appointed his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to chair the Presidential Working Group responsible for drafting the National Policing Bill, a key piece of legislation aimed at facilitating the implementation of state policing in Nigeria.

According to reports, the committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and has been mandated to develop the legal framework that will guide the operation of state police following the constitutional amendment process.

Represented at the inauguration by Gbajabiamila, President Tinubu explained that while the constitutional amendment approved by the National Assembly establishes the legal basis for a dual policing system, it does not provide the operational framework required for its implementation. He noted that the National Policing Bill would bridge that gap by outlining the legal and institutional structures needed to make state policing functional.

The President stated that the proposed legislation would contain provisions covering minimum policing standards, certification of states’ readiness, coordination between federal and state policing authorities, accountability mechanisms, protection of human rights, personnel transition, and fiscal requirements necessary for effective implementation.

Tinubu emphasized that the committee has been tasked with producing a technically sound and implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for submission to the National Assembly immediately after the constitutional amendment process is completed. He added that the working group would also recommend additional legal instruments required to ensure the smooth operation of the proposed dual policing system.

The committee comprises several top government officials and stakeholders, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, 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 NGF Committee on State Police, as well as members of the secretariat.