The Presidency has announced that public submissions on the proposed National Policing Bill will close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 13, 2026, urging Nigerians to submit their views on the proposed establishment of state police.
The Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, made this known on Wednesday.
Gbajabiamila said the consultation was intended to incorporate Nigerians’ experiences and professional expertise into the proposed legislation, particularly on concerns surrounding political interference, police misconduct, oversight and intelligence-sharing between federal and state police services.
He stressed that the consultation would not replace the National Assembly’s legislative role, noting that lawmakers would retain the authority to scrutinise, amend, reject or pass the Bill when it is formally transmitted.
Gbajabiamila urged Nigerians to make submissions on safeguards against political interference, mechanisms for investigating serious police misconduct and how federal and state police formations could share intelligence across state boundaries.
He acknowledged concerns that state police could be abused by governors against political opponents, protesters, journalists, minority groups and other citizens.
According to him, while state police could bring policing closer to communities and improve responses to local security threats, its proximity to state governments makes strong safeguards against abuse essential.
“The law must protect citizens regardless of who holds office. It must protect opposition parties, peaceful protesters, journalists and minority communities,” he said.
Gbajabiamila said the proposed system must ensure that police officers are properly recruited, vetted, trained, equipped and supervised, while citizens should have access to credible complaint and oversight mechanisms.
He added that officers familiar with local languages, geography and crime patterns could be better positioned to gather intelligence and respond to security challenges.
On the legal framework, Gbajabiamila said Section 214 of the Constitution currently provides for the Nigeria Police Force as the country’s police service, meaning a constitutional amendment is required before state police can be established.
He said both chambers of the National Assembly had approved proposed constitutional amendments providing for Federal Police Service and State Police Services, but the process was yet to be completed.
According to him, the amendment must still be transmitted to the state Houses of Assembly, where it requires approval from at least 24 of the 36 states before proceeding to the President for assent.
He stressed that state police would remain a proposal until the constitutional amendment process is completed.
Gbajabiamila also disclosed that the Presidential Working Group was developing the National Policing Bill alongside the constitutional amendment process.
He said the Bill would set national standards for recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, pensions, equipment and professional conduct, while also providing rules on the use of force, complaints, discipline, independent oversight, intelligence-sharing and cooperation between federal and state police services.
He clarified that even if the constitutional amendment and National Policing Bill become law, state police would not automatically be established nationwide.
Each state that chooses to establish its own police service would require an enabling law, appropriate institutions and funding, as well as compliance with national operational requirements.
Gbajabiamila added that states that were not ready to establish their own police services would continue to be policed by the Nigeria Police Force.
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