BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS
Nigeria is edging closer to one of its most significant security reforms in decades, as the constitutional framework for the establishment of state police nears completion following months of high-level consultations led by the Presidency.
The move, widely regarded as a potential game-changer in the country’s battle against insecurity, has gained substantial momentum, with key stakeholders now focusing on the final legal and constitutional mechanisms required to decentralise policing across the federation.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed the development on Thursday after a crucial consultative meeting on state police held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, discussions on the proposed state police structure commenced several months ago on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, a long-standing advocate of decentralised policing.
Gbajabiamila said the consultations have recorded significant progress, bringing Nigeria closer than ever to a constitutional amendment that could reshape the nation’s security architecture.
“We started deliberations in the last three or four months on how to go about the establishment of state police as directed by Mr President,” he said.
“Establishing state police is not something that can be done overnight. There are constitutional and legal issues that must be carefully addressed. Thankfully, we have made considerable progress, and we expect the amendment process to commence shortly.”
He explained that securing the necessary constitutional amendment remains the immediate priority, after which enabling legislation would be developed to operationalise the new policing framework.
“What we are focused on right now is the constitutional amendment itself. Once that is achieved, the enabling laws will follow. That has been the subject of our extensive deliberations,” he added.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives noted that national discourse has evolved significantly, with growing consensus across political and security circles on the need for state police.
According to him, the debate is no longer about whether Nigeria should establish state police, but rather how best to design a system that guarantees effectiveness, accountability and constitutional safeguards.
The outcome of the consultations, he said, will be presented to President Tinubu, whose administration has made security sector reform a central pillar of its governance agenda.
The meeting brought together top government officials, including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and other senior security and government functionaries.
The renewed push comes against the backdrop of worsening security concerns across several parts of the country, including rising cases of banditry, terrorism, communal violence and mass kidnappings.
Supporters of state police argue that a decentralised policing structure would strengthen grassroots intelligence gathering, improve community engagement, and enable faster responses to emerging threats.
President Tinubu has repeatedly described state police as an unavoidable solution to Nigeria’s complex security challenges and has urged lawmakers to expedite legislative action on related proposals.
However, the proposal continues to attract debate. Critics have raised concerns over possible political abuse by state governors, funding challenges, and fears that state-controlled police forces could exacerbate ethnic or communal tensions if not properly regulated.
Yet recent security incidents have intensified calls for urgent reform. Among them was the abduction of 39 pupils and seven teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, an attack that sparked nationwide outrage, protests, and an indefinite strike by teachers in the state.
With constitutional amendments now said to be on the horizon, Nigeria may be approaching a defining moment in its long-running quest to create a more responsive and locally driven security system.
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