• President to receive comprehensive report on outcome of meeting by Barau, Kalu, Disu
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The presidency, yesterday, disclosed that reasonable progress had been made towards the establishment of state police, with a constitution amendment expected soon, following months of consultations among the executive, National Assembly, and security authorities.
Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed the development to newsmen after a consultative meeting on state police convened by the presidency, at State House, Abuja.
Gbajabiamila said deliberations on the proposed state police framework began several months ago following a directive by President Bola Tinubu, stating that the process has gained considerable traction.
According to him, establishing state police requires careful consideration of constitutional and legal issues and cannot be implemented hastily.
Gbajabiamila stated, “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.”
According to him, discussions have now advanced to the point of considering the necessary constitutional amendments, with the enabling legislation to follow afterwards.
The chief of staff stated, “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.”
Gbajabiamila highlighted broad national support for the initiative, emphasising that the debate is no longer about whether state police should be established, but about creating the appropriate legal and institutional framework for its operation.
He said Tinubu, who had consistently advocated state police as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, would receive a comprehensive report on the meeting’s outcome.
The meeting was part of a series of consultations convened by the federal government to develop a workable framework for the establishment of state police, an initiative aimed at strengthening internal security, improving local intelligence gathering, and enhancing the capacity of sub-national governments to address emerging security challenges across the country.
Tinubu had maintained in the last few months that state police was a necessary response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, advocating that a decentralised policing structure would strengthen grassroots security, enhance intelligence gathering, and improve the protection of life and property across the country.
The meeting was attended by Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; and Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, among other top government officials.