State Police: Presidency rolls out plans for legal framework

—Draft Executive Bill to be presented to Tinubu Sept 3
— As c’ttee calls for memoranda from public

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — THE Presidency on Monday set up high‑level working group to draft the legal architecture needed to implement a new federal‑and‑state policing model for the country.

This is as the presidency has announced that the draft Executive Bill will be presented to President Bola Tinubu on September 3, 2026.

Briefing State House correspondents at the presidential villa, Abuja, Chairman of the Presidential Working Group of the National Advisory Committee on State Policing and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, called on members of the public to submit memoranda as inputs for the draft framework aimed at translating legislative advances into a practical plan.

Gbajabiamila, who was flanked by members of the Working Group said: “This is a monumental reform that Nigerians have debated for many years. The central task is to “design a lawful, professional and sustainable federal and state policing system that places greater capability closer to the people while preserving national standards, national security and the rights of every Nigerian.”

The Chief of Staff said that the public both home and abroad, professional bodies, civil society and other stakeholders have now until 13th August 2026 to submit memoranda, position papers and proposals.

He said such contributions can be submitted through a dedicated website already launched www.nationalpolicingbill.com.

Submissions he explained will be organized, recorded and considered; and once a draft is ready, national consultations will enable scrutiny of specific clauses, safeguards, funding proposals and transition arrangements.

According to him: “Public participation is an integral part of this process. To that end, I am announcing an open call for memoranda, position papers and practical proposals from Nigerians at home and abroad, professional bodies, civil society, security institutions, state and local actors, experts and other stakeholders to inform and improve the legislative proposals and other deliverables that the Working Group will produce.

“Those submissions will be organised by theme and recorded. When the completed draft is ready, the national consultation will allow Nigerians to engage with the actual clauses, safeguards, funding proposals and transition arrangements. The process will show not only what was submitted, but how material proposals were considered.”

Chairman of the Presidential Working Group said Executive Bill package will be presented to President Bola Tinubu on September 3, 2026.

He explained that before the Executive Bill is presented to the President, there would be a consultation on the completed draft.

Gbajabiamila said the national consultation will allow Nigerians to engage with the actual clauses, safeguards, funding proposals and transition arrangements.

“The role of the Policy Advisory Committee is to provide high-level policy and technical oversight. It will test assumptions, identify gaps, review the policy outline and successive versions of the Bill, and validate the supporting fiscal, transition and implementation materials before they move to executive consideration.

“In a reform of this sensitivity, independent oversight and a documented record of comments and dispositions are essential to both quality and public confidence.

“The approved work programme is a seven-week, milestone-driven exercise running from 27 July to 14 September 2026. Administrative and technical preparations have been underway, and today’s meeting formally mobilises the next stage.

“The resulting Executive Bill package is scheduled for presentation to the President on 3 September.”

According to him, a national consultation will follow, after which the draft will be revised, prepared, and approved by the President for formal transmission to the National Assembly.

“After which the text and supporting materials will be revised and prepared for formal transmission to the National Assembly.

“The timetable is demanding, but it is not a shortcut. Legal drafting, policy research, data analysis and implementation modelling will proceed in parallel, with fixed review gates. The final package will comprise more than a Bill.

“It will include schedules, an explanatory memorandum, a legal audit and consequential-amendments matrix, a clause-by-clause analysis, a state readiness framework, a fiscal and implementation note, an implementation workplan, a validation report, a risk register and a controlled digital archive.

“These are the materials required to make the reform defensible, auditable and capable of implementation.”

The Senate passed a constitutional amendment enabling State policing on June 24, and the House of Representatives passed an executive State Police Bill on July 23.

The constitutional change, however, is not yet operative and still requires approval from State Houses of Assembly as set out in the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as mended). Until those approvals and implementing laws are in place, the Nigeria Police Force remains the sole constitutionally recognized police institution.

According to the Chief of Staff, the amendment provides only the framework for a dual policing model; it does not create the operating rules.

“It does not settle questions on standards, certification, recruitment, training, funding, command, jurisdiction, complaints, data, firearms, pensions, transition or cooperation,” he said.

Those issues, he added, will be addressed in the National Policing Bill and subsidiary instruments.

Gbajabiamila said the working group’s mandate is technical and implementation‑focused: to produce an “implementation‑ready” draft National Policing Bill and an accompanying legislative package.

He explained that the team will audit the Police Act 2020 and related statutes and draft provisions on minimum national policing standards, state readiness and certification, jurisdictional rules, independent oversight bodies, custody and use‑of‑force safeguards, pensions and transfer arrangements, interoperable data systems, firearms control, and funding and federal intervention mechanisms.

He also said the working group’s secretariat, which will also undertake research, legal audit, policy analysis and drafting work has institutions including the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Nigerian Bar Association.

Gbajabiamila, noted that President Tinubu has also approved a multidisciplinary Policy Advisory Committee chaired by Hon. Justice Mohammed Abdullahi Liman with members including Judges, academics, security officials, justice‑sector reformers, technology experts and representatives from the National Assembly and subnational governments.

Several State Attorneys‑General are also expected to participate, offering direct regional perspectives.

“State Police cannot mean 36 States militias,” Gbajabiamila said, cautioning against political interference that could turn police institutions into instruments of partisan control. He noted that such interference should be exceptional, evidence‑based, time‑limited and reviewable.

Operational rollout for each of the 36 States, he said, will be contingent on demonstrable readiness—covering recruitment, vetting, training, pay, pensions, equipment, custody facilities, complaints mechanisms, oversight, firearms control and financial sustainability.

While there will be national standards set the baseline, the Chief of Staff said that each State of the Federation as being proposed may be free to adopt higher ones, but no Nigerian is left to receive lower protection wherever they live.

Gbajabiamila acknowledged legitimate concerns about potential political abuse, unequal state capacity, duplication of command structures and funding shortfalls.

“Those concerns are precisely why the constitutional amendment cannot be treated as self‑executing,” he said.

“Safeguards are not obstacles to State Police; they are what make State Police credible, lawful and sustainable.”

He added that law alone cannot solve Nigeria’s security problems: effective leadership, competent officers, reliable intelligence, resources and public trust will be essential.

Joined at the Monday’s briefing were the Inspector General of Police Olatunji Disu, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun among others.

Members of the Working include the President Chief of Staff, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodu, the President of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Afam Osigwe, SAN, Justice Mohammed Abdullahi Liman, among others.

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