The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.

The development comes as the Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara and Adamawa State Houses of Assembly approved the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police, joining Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara, which had earlier endorsed the proposal.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the draft bills were submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Monday, October 19, 2026.

He said the ministry’s review would ensure that the bills complied with legislative drafting standards and conventions and did not conflict with existing laws.

“The Ministry of Justice is expected to return the validated draft bills to the Working Group on or before Friday, 30th October 2026. The Working Group will then give the validated bills final consideration before presenting them to Mr President, thereby concluding its mandate,” the statement said.

Gbajabiamila explained that the proposed National Policing Bill seeks to establish the constitutional and legislative framework for a dual policing structure comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

He added that the working group remained committed to a rigorous and transparent process that would produce a comprehensive legislative proposal for President Bola Tinubu’s consideration and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.

The process is running alongside the consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, by state legislatures.

The bill, transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, seeks to amend Section 214 of the Constitution to replace the single Nigeria Police Force with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

At least 24 state assemblies must approve the constitutional amendment before it can proceed to the President for assent.

Five More Assemblies Endorse State Police

The Ogun State House of Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution supporting the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police.

The resolution followed the presentation of a report by the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review, chaired by former Speaker Olakunle Oluomo, which examined 26 clauses and proposed amendments.

Lawmakers voted in favour of the clauses and adopted the committee’s report through a voice vote.

Speaker Daisi Elemide described the decision as historic, saying state police would strengthen security, protect lives and property, and support economic development.

He directed that a clean copy of the resolution be transmitted to the National Assembly.

Similarly, all 23 members present at the Delta State House of Assembly on Tuesday voted in favour of the Sixth Alteration Bill.

Leading the debate, the Majority Leader, Emeka Nwaobi, said the proposed dual policing system would allow states to establish and fund their own police services to address insecurity, particularly at the grassroots.

Other lawmakers said the arrangement would improve local intelligence gathering, strengthen responses to security threats and create employment opportunities.

Speaker Emomotimi Guwor welcomed the unanimous approval, describing it as a significant step towards a policing system that would be more responsive to local communities.

He directed the Clerk of the House, Otto Aghoghophia, to communicate the assembly’s resolution to the National Assembly.

The Kwara State House of Assembly also approved the proposed constitutional amendment during plenary in Ilorin on Tuesday.

The approval followed a debate led by the House Leader, Mogaji Abdulkadri, who highlighted the potential benefits of bringing policing closer to the people.

Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu subsequently directed the Clerk of the House, Ahmed Olayiwola, to communicate the assembly’s decision to the National Assembly.

In Plateau State, lawmakers endorsed the amendment after adopting the report of an ad hoc committee that reviewed the proposal.

The committee, chaired by Prof. Theodore Maiyaki, said the amendment was necessary in view of prevailing security challenges, manpower shortages in the Nigeria Police Force and the need to strengthen local policing.

It also stressed the importance of safeguards covering human rights, operational standards, accountability and coordination between federal and state police services.

The Adamawa State House of Assembly, however, approved 24 of the 26 clauses presented for consideration, rejecting two clauses it said were not clearly defined.

At an emergency sitting on Tuesday, lawmakers examined the provisions before voting on them.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Musa Kallam, said some lawmakers were unclear about the two rejected clauses, prompting their decision to vote against them.

Kallam also dismissed concerns that governors could use state police against political opponents, arguing that the constitutional amendment provided limits to their powers.

He described the idea of state police as beneficial and said further amendments could be considered if necessary to strengthen the system.

Kebbi Assembly Yet to Approve Bill

While several state assemblies have endorsed the proposal, the Kebbi State House of Assembly has only received the bill for consideration.

The Majority Leader, Faruku Aliyu Nassarawa Jega, disclosed this during Tuesday’s plenary while reading a letter from the Clerk to the National Assembly.

The letter, dated September 16, 2026, stated that the bill was passed by the Senate on June 24 and by the House of Representatives on July 23.

It urged the Kebbi Assembly to consider the proposal expeditiously and communicate its decision to the National Assembly.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Internal Security for further deliberation.

The proposed amendment has attracted support from advocates who argue that state police would improve intelligence gathering and enable faster responses to local security threats.

However, concerns remain over possible political interference, abuse of power and the need for effective safeguards to ensure accountability and professionalism.

Justice Ministry Review Precedes Presidential Consideration

The submission of the draft bills to the Ministry of Justice follows an earlier statement by Gbajabiamila on October 15 that the policing bill was 90 per cent ready and would be transmitted to the National Assembly on October 29.

The Senate passed the bill on June 24, followed by the House of Representatives on July 23, before it was transmitted to the state assemblies for consideration.

President Tinubu inaugurated the seven-member Presidential Working Group on July 7, while its steering committee began work on August 3.

The President tasked the group with producing a technically robust and implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill.

However, the ministry’s review timeline has raised questions about when the final proposals will reach the President and the National Assembly.

When asked about the duration of the review, Kamarudeen Ogundele, Special Assistant on Media to the Attorney-General of the Federation, said the process must follow established procedures.

He argued that there was no fixed statutory period requiring the ministry to complete the review within a specified number of days or months.

The Senate also declined to comment on the Executive’s proposed timeline until it formally receives the bills.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said lawmakers would wait for official correspondence before taking a position.

“Well, we cannot pass comment on what the Executive said until we receive correspondence from them,” he said.

Adaramodu, however, described the proposed legislation as a matter of public interest that lawmakers were determined to conclude expeditiously.

He also dismissed concerns about delays by state assemblies, explaining that the 30-day deadline was intended for the states to communicate their positions to the National Assembly.

He expressed confidence that the responses would be available by the time the Executive formally transmits its proposals, adding that the process would not undermine the Senate’s commitment to completing the legislation before the end of the year.