State police: National policing bill 90% ready — Gbajabiamila
The National Policing Bill to establish state police is 90% ready for transmission to the National Assembly, says Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila. Read More:…
The push for state police has been one of Nigeria's most persistent federalism debates, with proponents arguing that a single centralised police force under the Nigeria Police Force cannot adequately tackle localised security challenges like banditry, kidnapping and communal clashes across the country's 36 states. Previous attempts to decentralise policing have stalled over concerns about possible abuse by state governors, funding structures and the constitutional amendments required to alter the current federal policing arrangement, making any concrete legislative timeline notable.
The coverage is largely consistent: Gbajabiamila, as Chief of Staff and head of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, says the draft is nearing completion and should be sent to the National Assembly within roughly two weeks. Premium Times adds a detail not emphasised elsewhere — that state governors have raised "one or two observations" about the bill, though specifics were not disclosed. None of the reports outline what the bill actually contains, how state police would be funded or controlled, or the exact timeline for passage once it reaches the lawmakers.