Nigeria Moves Closer to State Police as Presidency Confirms Constitutional Amendment Plans
Significant steps have been taken toward the establishment of state police in Nigeria, with the Presidency indicating that a constitutional amendment to facilitate the initiative could be introduced in the near future.
The development comes after several months of consultations involving the Executive arm of government, the National Assembly, and key security stakeholders, PulseNets learned.
The renewed conversation around state policing gained momentum following the recent mass abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, a development that prompted Governor Seyi Makinde to accuse the Federal Government of slowing efforts to create sub-national policing structures across the country.
Speaking with State House Correspondents after a high-level consultative meeting held at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed that discussions on the framework for state police have recorded substantial progress.
According to him, while momentum has been achieved, the process requires extensive constitutional and legal considerations before implementation.
He said:
“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. Hopefully, the amendment will come shortly, and the details of the amendment will come after that.
“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.”
PulseNets learnt that discussions have largely moved beyond debates over whether state police should be created, with stakeholders now concentrating on the legal, operational, and institutional framework required for effective implementation.
Gbajabiamila further noted that a detailed report of the deliberations would be presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for consideration.
Also Read: Tinubu Urges 10th Senate to Amend Constitution for State Police Amid Nigeria’s Security Crisis
PulseNets reports that the meeting brought together several senior government officials, including the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi; and the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.
The latest development signals growing consensus among policymakers on the long-debated issue of state police, with attention now focused on constitutional amendments and enabling legislation that could reshape Nigeria’s security architecture.
