The Presidency has announced that public submissions on the proposed National Policing Bill will close by 5pm on Thursday, August 13, 2026 (today).
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Gbajabiamila, who called on Nigerians to make their views known on the planned establishment of state police, stressed that the consultation was aimed at incorporating the experiences and professional expertise of Nigerians into the proposed legislation.
He said the submissions would help the government address critical concerns surrounding political interference, police misconduct, oversight and intelligence-sharing between federal and state police services.
The chief of staff urged Nigerians to particularly make contributions on how state police could be insulated from political manipulation, who should investigate serious cases of police misconduct and how federal and state police formations could effectively share intelligence across state boundaries.
According to him, the public consultation would not undermine the constitutional powers of the National Assembly, which would retain the authority to scrutinise, amend, reject or pass the Bill once transmitted to it.
“For too long, the debate has been framed as a choice between effective local policing and protection from political abuse. Nigeria needs both.
“We can bring policing closer to the people while building strong national standards, independent oversight and firm safeguards for every citizen. The time to fix policing in Nigeria is now, and we must see the work through,” he said.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives stressed that the proposed state police system must contain robust safeguards against the abuse of power by state governments.
He specifically warned against the possibility of governors using state police against political opponents, protesters, journalists, minority communities and other citizens.
Gbajabiamila acknowledged that state police could bring law enforcement closer to communities and improve responses to local security challenges, but noted that its proximity to state governments created legitimate concerns about political interference.
“But proximity does not guarantee justice. The concern that governors might use state police against political opponents, minority communities or dissenting voices is serious and must be answered in the design of the law,” he said.
He added that state police services must operate within their lawful jurisdictions while remaining subject to the Constitution, human rights principles and the rule of law.
The proposed framework, he said, would also provide for proper recruitment, training, equipment and supervision of officers, while ensuring citizens have access to credible complaint and oversight mechanisms.
Gbajabiamila said the reform was intended to create a policing system that is “closer, faster and better informed by local conditions,” arguing that officers familiar with a community’s language, geography and crime patterns would be better placed to gather intelligence and respond to security threats.
He, however, insisted that the reform must guarantee protection for citizens irrespective of their political affiliation.
“The law must protect citizens regardless of who holds office. It must protect opposition parties, peaceful protesters, journalists and minority communities.
“It must make unlawful orders easier to resist, misconduct easier to investigate and political interference harder to hide,” he said.
On the constitutional process, Gbajabiamila explained that Section 214 of the Constitution currently provides for a single Nigeria Police Force, meaning that 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 a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, but stressed that the process remained incomplete.
According to him, the National Assembly must complete the remaining stages before transmitting the amendment to the state Houses of Assembly, where it would require approval by at least 24 of the 36 state legislatures before being forwarded to the President for assent.
He emphasised that state police would remain a proposal until the constitutional amendment process is completed.
Gbajabiamila further disclosed that the Presidential Working Group was preparing the National Policing Bill alongside the constitutional amendment process.
He said the Bill would establish national standards covering recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, pensions, equipment and professional conduct.
It would also provide rules governing the use of force, complaints, discipline, independent oversight, intelligence-sharing and cooperation between federal and state police services.
However, he clarified that the passage of the constitutional amendment and the National Policing Bill would not automatically result in the creation of state police across the country.
“Each state that chooses to establish a service will still need its own enabling law, institutions and funding. It must also meet the national conditions for operation before its officers can begin policing,” he said.
Gbajabiamila added that states that were not ready to establish their own police services would continue to be served by the Nigeria Police Force.
