Nigeria is on the verge of a significant milestone in its security architecture, as a constitutional amendment to establish state police is expected to be introduced shortly. This development follows months of intensive consultations involving the Executive, the National Assembly, and security agencies.
Gbajabiamila Briefs Media After Presidential Meeting
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after a consultative meeting on state police convened by the Presidency at the State House, Abuja. He revealed that deliberations on the proposed framework began several months ago following a directive from President Bola Tinubu and have now gained substantial momentum.
Gbajabiamila emphasized that establishing state police requires careful consideration of constitutional and legal issues and cannot be implemented hastily. He stated, “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.”
Next Steps: Constitutional Amendment Followed by Enabling Law
According to Gbajabiamila, discussions have now advanced to the point of considering the necessary constitutional amendments, with enabling legislation to follow afterwards. He added, “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.”
The Chief of Staff highlighted broad national support for the initiative, noting that the debate is no longer about whether state police should be established but about creating the appropriate legal and institutional framework for its operation. He confirmed that President Tinubu, a consistent advocate for state police as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, would receive a comprehensive report on the meeting’s outcome.
Consultations Aim to Strengthen Internal Security
The meeting is part of a series of consultations convened by the Federal Government to develop a workable framework for the establishment of state police. This initiative aims to strengthen internal security, improve local intelligence gathering, and enhance the capacity of sub-national governments to address emerging security challenges across the country.
President Tinubu has maintained in recent months that state police is a necessary response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges. He advocates that a decentralized policing structure would strengthen grassroots security, enhance intelligence gathering, and improve the protection of lives and property across the country.
High-Level Attendance at the Meeting
The meeting was attended by the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; and the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, among other senior government officials.
This development marks a critical step forward in Nigeria’s efforts to reform its security sector and address persistent insecurity through a more localized policing model.
