The Presidency has set 5pm on Thursday, August 13, 2026, as the deadline for Nigerians to submit their views on the proposed National Policing Bill, which seeks to establish a legal framework for state police in the country.
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the deadline on Wednesday night.
Gbajabiamila said the ongoing consultation was designed to incorporate the experiences and professional expertise of Nigerians into the proposed legislation, particularly on concerns surrounding political interference, police misconduct, oversight and intelligence-sharing between federal and state police services.
He urged Nigerians to submit their contributions before the deadline, stressing that the consultation would not undermine the legislative powers of the National Assembly.
According to him, the National Assembly would retain the authority to scrutinise, amend, reject or pass the Bill when eventually transmitted to it.
He said the public should particularly make recommendations on how state police could be insulated from political interference, the appropriate mechanism for investigating serious misconduct and effective ways of sharing intelligence between federal and state police services.
“For too long, the debate has been framed as a choice between effective local policing and protection from political abuse. Nigeria needs both,” Gbajabiamila said.
“We can bring policing closer to the people while building strong national standards, independent oversight and firm safeguards for every citizen. The time to fix policing in Nigeria is now, and we must see the work through.”
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said the proposed state police structure must contain adequate safeguards against the abuse of police powers by governors.
He noted that state police could bring law enforcement closer to communities and improve responses to local security challenges, but acknowledged concerns that state authorities could potentially deploy the force against political opponents, protesters, journalists and minority groups.
“But proximity does not guarantee justice. The concern that governors might use state police against political opponents, minority communities or dissenting voices is serious and must be answered in the design of the law,” he said.
Gbajabiamila said state police services would be required to operate within their jurisdictions while remaining subject to the Constitution, human rights principles and the rule of law.
He added that the proposed framework would establish standards for the recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, equipment and supervision of personnel, as well as credible mechanisms for citizens to lodge complaints and seek redress.
He said the reforms were aimed at creating a policing system that would be “closer, faster and better informed by local conditions,” arguing that officers familiar with the language, geography and crime patterns of their communities would be better positioned to gather intelligence and respond to security threats.
Gbajabiamila stressed that the proposed law must guarantee protection for citizens regardless of their political affiliation.
“The law must protect citizens regardless of who holds office. It must protect opposition parties, peaceful protesters, journalists and minority communities.
“It must make unlawful orders easier to resist, misconduct easier to investigate and political interference harder to hide,” he said.
Constitutional Amendment Required
On the legal framework for establishing state police, Gbajabiamila said Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution currently provides for the Nigeria Police Force as the country’s police force, making a constitutional amendment necessary before state police can be established.
He disclosed that both chambers of the National Assembly had approved proposed constitutional amendments providing for a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, but said the amendment process was yet to be completed.
According to him, the National Assembly must conclude the remaining stages before transmitting the proposal to the state Houses of Assembly.
He explained that at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state legislatures must approve the amendment before it can be transmitted to the President for assent.
Gbajabiamila therefore stressed that state police remained a proposal until all constitutional requirements were fulfilled.
He further disclosed that the Presidential Working Group was developing the National Policing Bill alongside the constitutional amendment process.
The Bill, he said, would establish national standards covering recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, pensions, equipment and professional conduct.
It would also provide guidelines on the use of force, complaints, discipline, independent oversight, intelligence-sharing and cooperation between federal and state police services.
States Must Choose to Establish Police
Gbajabiamila clarified that even if the constitutional amendment and National Policing Bill become law, the establishment of state police would not automatically apply to all states.
“Each state that chooses to establish a service will still need its own enabling law, institutions and funding. It must also meet the national conditions for operation before its officers can begin policing,” he said.
He added that states that opted not to establish their own police services would continue to be policed by the Nigeria Police Force.
