Tinubu Sets Up Working Group For State Police Implementation Bill

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a working group to prepare the bill that would spell out how state police will operate if the ongoing constitutional changes are completed.

The group is expected to produce a draft National Policing Bill for the National Assembly. The bill is meant to cover standards for state police, how states will qualify, coordination with federal agencies, accountability rules, human rights safeguards and funding conditions.

Tinubu was represented at the inauguration in Abuja by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. The move follows the passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which proposes a policing system made up of the Federal Police Service and 36 state police services.

The president said the constitutional amendment would create the basic framework, but a separate law would be needed to make the system work in practice.

Gbajabiamila will chair the working group. Other members include the Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police.

According to the reports, the committee will work with a dedicated secretariat and prepare an implementation-ready draft once the constitutional process is concluded.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, who spoke for the governors, said state governments would support faster work on the reform when the bill gets to the state Houses of Assembly.

The state police debate has gained fresh urgency as many states continue to press for more control over security within their borders. Supporters say local policing would help states respond faster to crime, while critics have warned that safeguards are needed to stop abuse by state governments.

Source: Punch, Premium Times, Channels TV