…As Presidency, NASS, IGP intensify push for Constitutional amendment
Nigeria’s long-running debate over the establishment of state police appears to be nearing a decisive stage, as the Presidency, leadership of the 10th National Assembly and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, held a high-level meeting yesterday to fine-tune the constitutional framework for the proposed policing reform amid growing security challenges across the country.
The consultative meeting, convened by the Presidency at the State House in Abuja, brought together key stakeholders, including the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and other senior government officials.
Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed that substantial progress had been made toward establishing state police, revealing that a constitutional amendment required for its implementation could be introduced in the near future.
According to him, discussions on the framework began several months ago following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and have since advanced significantly. “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. 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 said.
He explained that discussions have now moved beyond the conceptual stage and are focused on the specific constitutional amendments required to create a legal foundation for state policing 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 added.
Gbajabiamila noted that there is now broad consensus among major stakeholders on the need for state police, stressing that the central issue is no longer whether such a system should exist, but rather how to establish a legal and institutional framework that guarantees accountability, efficiency and effective coordination with federal security agencies.
The Chief of Staff said a comprehensive report of the consultations would be submitted to President Tinubu, who has consistently championed the creation of state police as a key component of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
The latest meeting forms part of a series of consultations being undertaken by the Federal Government to develop a workable and sustainable model for decentralised policing. The initiative is aimed at improving local intelligence-gathering, strengthening grassroots security, enhancing rapid response to threats and empowering sub-national governments to address evolving security challenges within their jurisdictions.
President Tinubu has repeatedly maintained that state police remains one of the most practical responses to the nation’s security concerns, insisting that empowering states with greater responsibility for internal security would complement federal efforts and strengthen overall national stability.
