The Presidency has urged Nigerians to submit their views on the proposed National Policing Bill, saying public submissions will close by 5pm on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Wednesday, stressing that the consultation was designed to incorporate public experience and professional expertise into the proposed legislation.
Gbajabiamila said the submissions would help the government address critical concerns surrounding the proposed establishment of state police, including political interference, police misconduct, oversight and intelligence-sharing between federal and state police services.
He emphasised that the consultation would not replace the constitutional role of the National Assembly, which would retain the authority to scrutinise, amend, reject or pass the Bill when transmitted.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives called for contributions on mechanisms that could protect state police from political interference, determine who investigates serious police misconduct and facilitate intelligence-sharing between federal and state security services.
“For too long, the debate has been framed as a choice between effective local policing and protection from political abuse. Nigeria needs both,” he said.
“We can bring policing closer to the people while building strong national standards, independent oversight and firm safeguards for every citizen.
The time to fix policing in Nigeria is now, and we must see the work through.”
Gbajabiamila said the proposed framework must contain safeguards to prevent governors from deploying state police against political opponents, protesters, journalists, minority communities and other citizens.
He acknowledged that state police could improve responses to local security challenges by bringing policing closer to communities, but warned that the proximity of the force to state governments could create risks of political interference.
“The concern that governors might use state police against political opponents, minority communities or dissenting voices is serious and must be answered in the design of the law,” he said.
According to him, state police services must operate within their jurisdictions while remaining subject to the Constitution, human rights and the rule of law.
He added that the proposed framework would provide for proper recruitment, training, equipment and supervision of officers, as well as credible complaint and oversight mechanisms for citizens.
Gbajabiamila said the reform was intended to establish a policing system that is “closer, faster and better informed by local conditions.”
Constitutional Hurdle Remains
The presidential aide explained that Section 214 of the Constitution currently provides for the Nigeria Police Force, meaning that a constitutional amendment is required before state police can be established.
He said both chambers of the National Assembly had approved proposed constitutional changes providing for a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, but the amendment process was still ongoing.
The amendment must subsequently be transmitted to the state Houses of Assembly and approved by at least 24 of the 36 state legislatures before it can proceed to the President for assent.
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Gbajabiamila therefore stressed that state police remains a proposal until the required constitutional and legislative procedures are completed.
He disclosed that the Presidential Working Group was also preparing the National Policing Bill to run alongside the constitutional amendment process.
The proposed Bill, he said, would establish national standards for recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, pensions, equipment and professional conduct, while also providing rules on the use of force, complaints, discipline, independent oversight and intelligence-sharing.
However, he clarified that even if the constitutional amendment and National Policing Bill become law, state police would not automatically be established across Nigeria.
“Each state that chooses to establish a service will still need its own enabling law, institutions and funding. It must also meet the national conditions for operation before its officers can begin policing,” he said.
He added that states that are not ready to establish their own police services would continue to be served by the Nigeria Police Force.
