….Tinubu to receive comprehensive report on consultations
….Presidency says national consensus growing on decentralised policing
By Peter Taiwo
The Federal Government has moved closer to the establishment of state police in Nigeria, with the Presidency disclosing that work on the constitutional framework required to decentralise policing is nearing completion.
The development follows months of consultations involving the Presidency, the National Assembly and security agencies aimed at strengthening the nation’s security architecture and addressing growing concerns over insecurity across the country.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, made this known on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after a high-level consultative meeting on state police held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, discussions on the proposed state police framework commenced several months ago following a directive by President Bola Tinubu to develop a workable structure for decentralised policing.
Gbajabiamila explained that significant progress had been recorded in the ongoing deliberations, noting that establishing state police requires careful consideration of constitutional and legal issues.
“We started deliberations in the last three or four months on how to go about the establishment of state police as directed by Mr President. 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,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the required constitutional amendment would be introduced soon, adding that details of the proposed changes would be made public after the amendment process begins.
The presidential aide stated that the immediate focus remains securing constitutional amendments, while the enabling legislation required to operationalise state police would follow afterward.
“Right now, what we are looking at is the constitutional amendment itself, and then the enabling law would follow thereafter. That is what we have been deliberating on in the last couple of hours,” he added.
Gbajabiamila noted that support for state police has continued to grow nationwide, stressing that public discourse has shifted from whether state police should exist to determining the most effective legal and institutional framework for its implementation.
He further revealed that President Tinubu, who has consistently advocated for state policing, would receive a comprehensive report on the outcome of the consultations.
The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu; and other senior government officials.
Observers believe the latest consultation represents a major step toward addressing Nigeria’s persistent security challenges through a more localised policing structure.
Proponents of state police argue that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering at the grassroots level, strengthen community security networks and enhance the capacity of state governments to respond swiftly to emerging threats.
Nigeria currently operates a centralised policing system under the control of the Federal Government through the Nigeria Police Force.
However, rising cases of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and communal violence have intensified calls for reforms aimed at giving states greater responsibility for maintaining internal security.
President Tinubu had earlier described state police as inevitable in the fight against insecurity and urged lawmakers to expedite action on relevant legislative proposals.
Supporters maintain that state police would foster closer relationships between law enforcement agencies and local communities, thereby improving crime prevention and emergency response.
Despite the growing support, critics have expressed concerns over the possibility of political interference by state governors, inadequate funding and the potential escalation of ethnic or communal tensions.
The renewed push for state police comes amid increasing public anxiety over insecurity and mass abductions in several parts of the country.
One of the recent incidents was the May 15 attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where dozens of pupils and teachers were abducted, sparking widespread outrage and industrial action by teachers in the state.
