State police framework near completion – Presidency

The Federal Government has announced significant progress toward the establishment of state police, revealing that work on the constitutional framework required for its implementation is nearing completion following months of consultations among key stakeholders.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, said Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday after a high-level consultative meeting on state police convened by the Presidency at the State House in Abuja.

Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, Gbajabiamila said discussions on the proposed state police framework commenced about four months ago on the directive of President Bola Tinubu and have since recorded substantial progress.

According to him, stakeholders are now focused on the constitutional amendments needed to pave the way for the creation of state police, with the enabling legislation expected to follow once the amendment process is completed.

“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,” he 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.”

Gbajabiamila explained that the ongoing consultations have moved beyond the question of whether state police should be established, noting that discussions are now centred on designing an effective legal and institutional framework that would guide its operations.

He said the constitutional amendment under consideration would address critical issues relating to the structure, powers, responsibilities and oversight mechanisms of state police formations across the federation.

“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 stated.

The Chief of Staff noted that there appears to be broad consensus among stakeholders on the need for state police as part of wider efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and tackle growing security challenges across the country.

He added that President Tinubu would receive a comprehensive report on the outcome of the consultations and the recommendations emerging from the meeting.

The latest development marks another step in the Federal Government’s efforts to implement one of the major security reforms advocated by the President since assuming office.

State police has remained a contentious issue in Nigeria’s political and security discourse for years, with proponents arguing that decentralising policing would improve local intelligence gathering, enhance rapid response capabilities and empower state governments to address security threats more effectively.

Supporters of the initiative have also argued that Nigeria’s current centralised policing structure has become overstretched in the face of rising incidents of banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts and other forms of insecurity.

President Tinubu has repeatedly expressed support for the creation of state police, maintaining that the country’s evolving security environment requires innovative and decentralised approaches to law enforcement.

According to the Presidency, the proposed reform is expected to strengthen grassroots security, improve intelligence gathering and enhance the protection of lives and property across the country.

Thursday’s meeting forms part of a series of consultations involving the Executive, the National Assembly, security agencies and legal experts aimed at developing a workable framework for the implementation of state policing.

Among those 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 Prince Lateef Fagbemi, and Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, alongside other senior government officials.