State Police Amendment Bill Expected Soon as FG Advances Security Reforms
The Federal Government has announced significant progress toward the establishment of state police across Nigeria, with a constitutional amendment expected soon following extensive consultations among the Presidency, National Assembly and security agencies.
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on June 4, 2026 while briefing State House Correspondents after a high-level consultative meeting on state police held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Gbajabiamila, discussions on the proposed state policing framework commenced several months ago following a directive from President Tinubu and have since recorded substantial progress.
He explained that the establishment of state police involves complex constitutional and legal processes that require careful consideration and broad stakeholder engagement.
“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,” he said.
The Chief of Staff expressed optimism that the required constitutional amendment would be presented soon, after which the details of the legal framework and enabling legislation would follow.
He noted that deliberations have now advanced beyond the question of whether state police should be created, stressing that stakeholders are focused on developing an effective operational and legal structure for the initiative.
“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 stated that President Tinubu, who has consistently advocated for state police as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, would receive a detailed report on the outcome of the consultations.
The move forms part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to reform the nation’s security system and address growing security challenges through a more decentralized policing structure.
Supporters of the initiative argue that state police will improve intelligence gathering at the grassroots level, enhance response times, and strengthen the capacity of sub-national governments to tackle local security threats.
President Tinubu has repeatedly maintained that state police remains a necessary response to Nigeria’s evolving security landscape, emphasizing that a decentralized approach would better protect lives and property while complementing the efforts of federal security agencies.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; and the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, alongside other senior government officials.
The proposed state police initiative is widely viewed as one of the most significant security reforms under the Tinubu administration and could reshape Nigeria’s policing structure if approved through the constitutional amendment process.
State Police Amendment Bill Expected Soon as FG Advances Security Reforms