President Bola Tinubu is expected to receive the proposed Executive National Policing Bill for review on September 3 as the Presidency enters the final stage of drafting legislation to establish a legal framework for state policing in Nigeria.
The Presidency has also unveiled a public information portal to enable Nigerians submit memoranda and position papers that will help shape the bill before it is forwarded to the National Assembly.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed that the Presidential Working Group has adopted a seven-week work plan spanning July 27 to September 14, 2026.
“The resulting Executive Bill package is scheduled for presentation to the President on the 3rd of September. This is a monumental reform that Nigerians have debated for many years,” Gbajabiamila said.
He explained that although both chambers of the National Assembly have passed the constitutional amendment on state policing, the proposal is yet to take effect because it still requires approval by state Houses of Assembly.
“Until that process is concluded, there is no operational state police service anywhere in Nigeria, and the Nigeria Police Force remains the constitutionally recognised police institution,” he stated.
Gbajabiamila also assured Nigerians that the proposed state policing structure would include safeguards to prevent abuse by political officeholders.
“State Police cannot mean 36 state militias. No political officeholder should be able to direct the arrest of an opponent, the suppression of lawful political activity or the selective enforcement of the law,” he said.
According to the Presidency, the newly launched online portal is designed to encourage broad public participation, allowing Nigerians from different backgrounds to submit recommendations before the bill is finalised.
Addressing concerns about the financial implications of establishing state police, Gbajabiamila said it was premature to estimate the cost, stressing that protecting lives and property must remain the priority.
“There is no cost that will be too much to secure lives and property,” he added.
