BREAKING: Tinubu Declares State Police Now Inevitable, Inaugurates Gbajabiamila-Led Power Team to Enforce New Policing Order

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a seven-man Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to develop the legal framework for implementing state police across the country.

Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who also chairs the committee, inaugurated the panel on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja. The move follows the recent passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which proposed a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.

The president emphasized that while the constitutional amendment establishes the framework for dual policing, the National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure to operationalize it. He noted that the proposed legislation would address issues such as minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards, and fiscal conditions.

The working group comprises the Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Chairman of the NGF Committee on State Police. A secretariat will provide administrative assistance to the committee.

Tinubu stressed that the committee is necessary to avoid delays after the passage of the state police bill, stating, “We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment.” The committee is expected to produce an implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly.