The Presidency has revealed that substantial progress has been made towards the creation of state police, with a constitutional amendment expected in the coming weeks after extensive consultations with key stakeholders.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, made this known on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after a high-level consultative meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He explained that the process, initiated on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has gained significant momentum over the last three to four months, with current discussions centred on finalising the constitutional amendment needed to establish state police.
“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,” Gbajabiamila said.
He noted that work on the constitutional amendment is ongoing, while the necessary legislation would follow once the amendment is secured.
According to him, discussions have moved beyond debating the need for state police and are now focused on developing an effective legal and institutional structure for its operation.
Gbajabiamila added that President Tinubu, who has consistently supported decentralised policing as part of efforts to strengthen the nation’s security system, will receive a comprehensive report detailing the outcome of the consultations.
The meeting was part of a series of engagements by the Federal Government aimed at developing a workable state policing framework to improve internal security, strengthen intelligence gathering, and empower state governments to tackle emerging security threats.
Those present at the meeting included Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, alongside other senior government officials.
Calls for state police have intensified in recent months amid rising security concerns across the country, with supporters arguing that decentralised policing would improve grassroots security and enhance the protection of lives and property nationwide.