State Police Closer Than Ever — Presidency Says

The Federal Government has moved significantly closer to establishing state police, with the Presidency confirming that the constitutional amendment required to create sub-national police forces is almost complete.

Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this after a high-level consultative meeting on state policing held at the State House, Abuja this week, involving senior government officials, lawmakers, and security chiefs.

According to Gbajabiamila, discussions on the proposed state police framework commenced about four months ago following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and have now advanced to the stage of finalising the constitutional changes needed to give legal backing to the reform.

“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,” he said.

He added that substantial progress has been made and that the amendment is expected to be unveiled shortly.

The proposed constitutional amendment is expected to redefine Nigeria’s policing structure by allowing states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force. 

It is also expected to provide guidelines on jurisdiction, command structures, recruitment standards, funding mechanisms, accountability measures, and coordination between federal and state security agencies.

Gbajabiamila explained that attention is currently focused on the constitutional amendment itself, while an enabling law detailing operational procedures would follow after the amendment is passed.

The Chief of Staff noted that national discussions have largely moved beyond the question of whether Nigeria should have state police. 

According to him, the emphasis is now on designing a legal and institutional framework capable of preventing abuse while ensuring effective security delivery across the federation.

Among the major issues being addressed are funding arrangements, oversight functions, operational independence, and safeguards against the potential misuse of state police by political office holders.

Once passed by the National Assembly and approved by the required number of State Houses of Assembly, the amendment would mark one of the most significant security reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.