President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a Presidential Working Group to prepare the legal framework for state police, saying a constitutional amendment alone will not be enough.
Representing the President at the inauguration in Abuja, the Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the body will produce an implementation-ready draft bill and recommend any additional legislation needed to operationalise state police once the constitutional amendment is passed.
Another major area to address is federal-state coordination, preventing jurisdiction clashes between federal and state forces, as well as protecting citizens from potential local overreach, managing the transition and funding of officers.
The committee, which is chaired by the Chief of Staff,Mr Gbajabiamila, also includes major key stakeholders such as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), as well as the Governors of Ogun and Kwara States (representing the Nigeria Governors’ Forum).
Speaking on behalf of the NGF, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun praised the executive’s proactiveness.
He said the state police model validates the success of regional security efforts like Amotekun in the South-West.
Governor Abiodun stated that the 36 state governors were ready to fast-track the legislation.
According to him, the Governors plan to coordinate with the various state Houses of Assembly to pass the bill unanimously on the same day of arrival.
Its members include the National Security Adviser, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Inspector-General of Police and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The Working Group has been given seven weeks to complete its assignment.