Following the planned establishment of state police, the Presidency has disclosed that public submissions of the proposed National Policing Bill will close at 5pm on Thursday, August 13, 2026 as consultation continues.
The deadline was announced on Wednesday by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill.
Gbajabiamila said the consultation was designed to draw on the experiences and professional expertise of Nigerians, particularly on questions surrounding political interference, police misconduct, independent oversight and intelligence-sharing between federal and state police services.
He stressed that the public consultation would not replace the constitutional role of the National Assembly, which would still have the power to scrutinise, amend, reject or pass the Bill when it is formally transmitted.
Gbajabiamila said the debate over state police should not be reduced to a choice between more effective local policing and protection against political abuse.
“For too long, the debate has been framed as a choice between effective local policing and protection from political abuse. Nigeria needs both,” he said.
“We can bring policing closer to the people while building strong national standards, independent oversight and firm safeguards for every citizen.”
He urged Nigerians to submit proposals on how police services could be insulated from political interference, who should investigate serious misconduct and how federal and state formations should share intelligence across jurisdictional boundaries.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives acknowledged concerns that governors could misuse state police against political opponents, protesters, journalists and minority communities.
He said such fears were legitimate and must be addressed in the design of the law.
“Proximity does not guarantee justice. The concern that governors might use state police against political opponents, minority communities or dissenting voices is serious and must be answered in the design of the law,” Gbajabiamila said.
According to him, state police services should exercise lawful authority within their jurisdictions while remaining subject to the Constitution, human rights standards and the rule of law.
“The law must protect citizens regardless of who holds office. It must protect opposition parties, peaceful protesters, journalists and minority communities,” he added.
“It must make unlawful orders easier to resist, misconduct easier to investigate and political interference harder to hide.”
Gbajabiamila said the proposed National Policing Bill would establish minimum standards covering recruitment, vetting, training, remuneration, pensions, equipment and professional conduct.
It would also contain provisions on use of force, complaints, discipline, independent oversight, intelligence sharing and cooperation between federal and state police services.
He said proper recruitment, training, equipment and supervision would be necessary to ensure that state police formations operated professionally.
Citizens, he added, must also have access to credible complaint and accountability mechanisms.
Gbajabiamila explained that Section 214 of the Constitution currently provides for only one police force, the Nigeria Police Force. Consequently, establishing state police would require a constitutional amendment.
He said both chambers of the National Assembly had already approved proposed constitutional changes providing for a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, but stressed that the process was not yet complete.
The amendments would still have to be transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly and secure the approval of at least 24 of them.
