By Amofokhai Williams
The Federal Government has made significant progress toward establishing State Police, with a constitutional amendment now expected in the coming weeks, the Presidency announced on Thursday.
Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents after a high-level consultative meeting on the State Police framework at the Presidential Villa.
Gbajabiamila said deliberations began three to four months ago on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the process has now gained considerable traction. He emphasized that establishing State Police requires careful handling of constitutional and legal issues and cannot be rushed.
“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. Hopefully, the amendment will come shortly, and the details of the amendment will come after that,” Gbajabiamila stated.
He added that discussions have advanced to the point of focusing on the necessary constitutional amendments, with enabling legislation to follow thereafter.
“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 explained.
According to the Chief of Staff, the national debate has shifted. The question is no longer whether State Police should be established, but how to create the appropriate legal and institutional framework for its successful operation.
President Tinubu, who has consistently advocated for State Police as a vital response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, will receive a comprehensive report on the meeting’s outcome.
The initiative seeks to strengthen internal security by improving local intelligence gathering, enhancing grassroots response capabilities, and enabling sub-national governments to better address emerging threats and protect lives and property.
Thursday’s meeting, convened by the Presidency, was attended by Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, and other senior government officials.
This high-level participation highlights strong collaboration between the executive and legislature as the reform process accelerates.
The development represents a major step forward in what could become one of the most transformative security sector reforms in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, with further details on the proposed amendment anticipated soon.
