Fresh Hope For State Police As Presidency Reveals Amendment Plans Are Almost Ready

The Presidency has disclosed that substantial progress has been made toward the establishment of state police across Nigeria, with the required constitutional amendments expected to be introduced soon.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, made this known on Thursday after a consultative meeting on state policing held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, discussions on the creation of state police commenced several months ago following a directive from President Bola Tinubu.

Gbajabiamila explained that the process has now advanced to the stage where constitutional amendments needed to support the initiative are being finalised.

“We began deliberations about three to four months ago on the framework for establishing state police as directed by Mr President,” he said.

“The creation of state police is not something that can be achieved overnight. There are significant constitutional and legal issues involved, but we have made considerable progress. Hopefully, the constitutional amendment will be ready soon, after which the details will be made public.”

He noted that the current priority is securing the necessary constitutional changes, while the enabling legislation required to operationalise state police will follow afterward.

“At the moment, our focus is on the constitutional amendment itself. Once that is completed, the enabling law will come next. That has been the focus of our discussions over the last few hours,” he added.

The push for state police has intensified amid persistent security challenges across the country, including banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

Supporters of the initiative argue that the current centralised policing system has become overstretched and is often unable to effectively address local security concerns.

Although several states have established regional security outfits, including Amotekun in the South-West, such organisations currently operate without full constitutional recognition.

Gbajabiamila said there is now broad national agreement on the need for state police, noting that discussions have shifted from whether the system should be adopted to how it can be effectively implemented within a proper legal framework.

He added that President Tinubu would be presented with a comprehensive report detailing the outcome of the consultations.

The meeting formed part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to develop a workable and constitutionally compliant state policing structure.

Among those in attendance were Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), as well as other senior government officials.

The Federal Government believes that decentralised policing will improve grassroots security, strengthen intelligence gathering and enhance the protection of lives and property across the country.