State police framework nearing completion, says Presidency

The Presidency has said significant progress has been made towards the establishment of state police, with a constitutional amendment expected in the coming weeks following extensive consultations among key stakeholders.

 

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after a high-level consultative meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

 

According to him, the process, initiated by President Bola Tinubu, has advanced considerably over the past three to four months, with discussions now centred on finalising the constitutional amendment required to create 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 explained that while work continues on the constitutional amendment, the enabling legislation would follow once the amendment is secured.

 

Gbajabiamila noted that the national debate has moved beyond whether state police should be established to how its legal and institutional framework should be structured for effective operation.

 

He added that President Tinubu, a long-time advocate of decentralised policing, would be presented with a comprehensive report on the outcome of the consultations.

 

The meeting was part of ongoing engagements by the Federal Government aimed at developing a workable framework for state police to improve internal security, strengthen intelligence gathering and empower sub-national governments to address emerging security challenges.

 

Those in attendance 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, among other senior officials.