The joint panel made up of federal lawmakers and representatives of the executive has concluded its work on a framework to establish state police in Nigeria, bringing the long-running agitation for decentralised policing a step closer to reality.
According to presidency officials, the committee’s report will form the basis of a constitutional amendment bill and enabling laws that will be transmitted to the National Assembly in the coming weeks, as part of ongoing consultations by the Federal Government aimed at developing a workable model for state police.
Earlier this year, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, reiterated the Federal Government’s “strong commitment” to the establishment of state police, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to see the reform become a reality once the necessary legal framework is secured.
“It is the desire of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that we have state police as soon as it is practicable in this country. The time has indeed come for that,” Idris said, noting that the President has already appealed to the National Assembly to put the appropriate legislation in place.
In March, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, inaugurated a seven-member committee to develop a framework for the establishment and coordination of state police structures, including recruitment standards, training, operations, accountability and oversight mechanisms that would strengthen, not fragment, national security.
The debate around state police is tied to Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution, which currently establishes a single national police force and explicitly states that no other police force shall be established for the federation or any part thereof. Various bills proposing state police have already been consolidated into a single State Police Bill within the ongoing constitutional review process.
For state police to become a reality, the amendment bill must be passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, ratified by at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly and then receive presidential assent. The Olu Ogunsakin‑led Senate committee on state police has already submitted a preliminary framework to the upper chamber for consideration.
A federal steering committee on the State Police Establishment Framework has warned against an overly short rollout timeline, such as 24 months, citing risks of elite capture, uneven state readiness and weak safeguards. It instead recommends a phased implementation tied to clear benchmarks on training, funding and oversight.
Security experts and civil society groups say the conclusion of the joint lawmakers–executive panel’s work is a significant political signal but stress that the real test will be in the final constitutional language, funding formulas, and safeguards against abuse by state governors.
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