The Presidency has set 5pm on Thursday, August 13, 2026, as the deadline for Nigerians to submit their views on the proposed National Policing Bill, which seeks to provide a legal framework for the establishment of state police.
The Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the deadline on Wednesday.
He said the consultation was aimed at incorporating the experiences and expertise of Nigerians into the proposed legislation, particularly on issues surrounding political interference, police misconduct, oversight and intelligence-sharing between federal and state police services.
Gbajabiamila stressed that the public consultation would not replace the constitutional role of the National Assembly, which would have the authority to scrutinise, amend, reject or pass the Bill when it is formally transmitted.
He urged Nigerians to make submissions on how state police could be protected from political interference, who should investigate serious cases of police misconduct and how federal and state police authorities could effectively share intelligence across state boundaries.
“For too long, the debate has been framed as a choice between effective local policing and protection from political abuse. Nigeria needs both,” Gbajabiamila said.
He argued that state police could bring policing closer to communities and improve responses to local security challenges, but acknowledged concerns over the possibility of governors abusing the force for political purposes.
According to him, the proposed law must contain safeguards to prevent state police from being used against political opponents, protesters, journalists, minority communities and other citizens.
“But proximity does not guarantee justice. 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.
Gbajabiamila said state police officers must operate within the constitution, human rights principles and the rule of law, while being properly recruited, trained, equipped and supervised.
He also called for credible complaint and oversight mechanisms to ensure accountability and protect citizens from abuse.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said decentralised policing could improve intelligence gathering and response times because officers familiar with local languages, geography and crime patterns would be better positioned to address security threats.
Gbajabiamila explained that establishing state police would require an amendment to the Constitution, which currently recognises the Nigeria Police Force as the country’s single police force under Section 214.
He said both chambers of the National Assembly had approved proposed constitutional amendments providing for a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, but the process was not yet complete.
According to him, the amendment must still be transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly, where it requires approval from at least 24 states before proceeding to the President for assent.
He stressed that state police would remain a proposal until the constitutional amendment process is completed. Gbajabiamila also disclosed that the Presidential Working Group was developing the National Policing Bill alongside the constitutional amendment process.
He said the Bill would establish national standards covering recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, pensions, equipment and professional conduct. It would also provide guidelines on the use of force, complaints, discipline, independent oversight, intelligence sharing and cooperation between federal and state police services.
However, he clarified that the passage of the constitutional amendment and National Policing Bill would not automatically establish state police across the country.
“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.
Gbajabiamila added that states that choose not to establish their own police services would continue to be served by the Nigeria Police Force.
