Significant steps are being taken to set up state police. A constitutional amendment is on the way after months of talks among the government, the National Assembly, and security agencies.
Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, shared this news on Thursday while speaking to reporters at the State House in Abuja. This meeting focused on the state police and was called by the Presidency.
Gbajabiamila said discussions on the state police started a few months ago after President Bola Tinubu gave the go-ahead. He noted that the process is moving forward well.
He explained that creating state police needs careful thought on the constitutional and legal aspects. It cannot be rushed.
"We began talking about how to set up state police about three or four months ago as directed by the President.
"Setting up state police is not something that can happen overnight. There are many factors to consider regarding the constitution and legal matters, and thankfully, we have made good progress.
"We hope the amendment will come soon, and we will share the details of the amendment after that," Gbajabiamila added.
He mentioned that talks have advanced to look into the needed constitutional changes, with the laws to support it coming afterward.
"Right now, we are focused on the constitutional amendment itself, and then the laws to support it will follow. This is what we have been discussing in the past few hours," he said.
The Chief of Staff pointed out that there is broad support for the idea. He stressed that the conversation is no longer about whether to have state police. It is now about building the right legal and institutional framework for it.
He said President Tinubu, who has been a strong supporter of state police, would receive a full report on what was discussed in the meeting.
This meeting is part of ongoing discussions by the Federal Government to create a workable plan for state police. The aim is to boost internal security, improve local intelligence gathering, and help state governments tackle new security challenges across Nigeria.
President Tinubu has been clear in recent months that state police is needed to address Nigeria’s changing security issues. He believes that a decentralized police system will strengthen local security, improve intelligence gathering, and better protect lives and property across the country.
The meeting included important figures like 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, along with other senior government officials.
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