State Police: Presidency Announces Fresh Development
- The Presidency set a deadline of 5 pm on Thursday, August 13, 2026, for Nigerians to submit views on the proposed National Policing Bill
- Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and chairman of the working group, outlined key concerns the submissions should address
- Both chambers of the National Assembly have approved proposed constitutional changes, but several legislative steps remain before state police can become law
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
FCT, Abuja - Nigeria's Presidency has set a deadline of 5 pm on Thursday, August 13, 2026, for public submissions on the proposed National Policing Bill, as the Federal Government moves to gather citizens' views on the planned introduction of state police.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, said the consultation was designed to draw on lived experiences.
Source: Facebook
Gbajabiamila said it is also to draw on the professional knowledge of Nigerians to shape the legislation.
As reported by The Punch, Gbajabiamila announced the deadline on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
Key concerns submissions should address
Gbajabiamila said contributions would be most valuable on three specific questions: how police services could be shielded from political interference, who should handle serious misconduct cases, and how federal and state forces could share intelligence across state boundaries.
"For too long, the debate has been framed as a choice between effective local policing and protection from political abuse. Nigeria needs both.
"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 acknowledged that while state police could improve responses to local security challenges by placing officers familiar with a community's language, geography and crime patterns closer to the ground, proximity to state governments raised legitimate questions about abuse of power.
"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."
Gbajabiamila stressed that any new framework must make unlawful orders easier to resist, misconduct easier to investigate, and political interference harder to conceal.
Where legislative process stands
According to Channels Television, Gbajabiamila explained that Section 214 of Nigeria's constitution currently provides for only one police force, the Nigeria Police Force, meaning a constitutional amendment is required before state police can be legally established.
Both chambers of the National Assembly have approved proposed changes to provide for a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, but the process is not yet complete.
The amendments must still pass the remaining legislative stages before being sent to the 36 state Houses of Assembly, where at least 24 must approve them. Only after that can the bill proceed to the President for assent.
Gbajabiamila was clear that state police remains a proposal until all those steps are completed.
He also confirmed that the Presidential Working Group is preparing the National Policing Bill in parallel with the constitutional amendment process.
He added that the public consultation would not replace the role of the National Assembly, which retains full power to scrutinise, amend, reject or pass the bill when it is eventually transmitted.
Source: Twitter
State Police bill: Agbese advises Nigerians
Recall that Philip Agbese said the National Assembly initiated the state police bill before the executive introduced its own version.
Agbese questioned the timing of calls by some lawmakers to suspend the recess, linking it to 2027 election interests.
The deputy spokesman admitted the executive had failed to pay contractors who executed constituency projects for lawmakers.
Gbajabiamila gives fresh update on state police
Earlier, Legit.ng also reported that Gbajabiamila announced a seven-week timeline for drafting the proposed state police bill after the working group's inaugural meeting.
The presidential committee began administrative and technical preparations following Tinubu's inauguration of the group in July 2026.
The president's chief of staff said a national consultation on the draft bill is planned before it is sent to the National Assembly for consideration.
Source: Legit.ng
