• Expected back from justice ministry by October 30 for onward transmission to president
•Submitted along with 29 consequential amendment bills
• Delta approves amendment for state police, to write National Assembly
Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
The presidency, yesterday, disclosed that the draft of the 2026 National Policing Bill was ready.
Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, made the disclosure, in a release.
Gbajabiamila said the group had completed the drafting stage of its assignment and had formally submitted the bill, together with 29 consequential amendment bills, to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
He said the submission to Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, took place on Monday, October, 19, in line with the working group’s work plan.
The chief of staff explained that the ministry’s review would ensure that the bills conformed to legislative drafting standards and conventions, and did not conflict with existing laws.
He said the Ministry of Justice was expected to return the validated draft bills to the working group on or before Friday, October 30 for final consideration before their presentation to President Bola Tinubu, which would mark the conclusion of the group’s mandate.
Gbajabiamila said, “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.
“The Working Group remains committed to a rigorous and transparent process that will deliver a comprehensive legislative proposal for consideration by the president and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
“The work on preparing the National Policing Bill is proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the States Houses of Assembly, which must be completed before the bill is transmitted to the National Assembly.”
The presidency had last Thursday hinted that the National Policing Bill would be transmitted to the National Assembly within two weeks.
Gbajabiamila told newsmen after the steering committee’s meeting at State House, Abuja, “The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly.
“We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90 per cent ready. The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so.”
He described the bill as “the most consequential bill of the administration so far”, adding that it has undergone strenuous exercises in the last few weeks since the working group’s steering committee began deliberations on August 3.
Commenting on the possibility of the states dragging their feet on the passage of the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill (State Police), especially against the backdrop of the information that only about six states had passed the amendment, out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gbajabiamila affirmed that there was a “national consensus” among Nigerians on the need for the amendments.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he said.
Members of the committee present at Thursday’s meeting held at the conference hall of the Chief of Staff Office at State House, Abuja, included Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State; Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu; and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, represented by Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
Others were Chairman, Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (rtd); Head, Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Professor Olu Ogunsakin; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Dr. Lanre Smart; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research, who also doubles as Secretary of the Committee, Nnadubem Moghalu; the representative of President of Nigerian Bar Association; and Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Abraham Nabhon Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser, among others.
Tinubu had on July 7 inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.
The working group’s inauguration followed National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, in which the president proposed a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
Tinubu had stated that while the constitutional amendment created the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure for its implementation.
He said, “The Constitution Amendment Bill establishes the framework for dual policing, but it does not operationalise it. That work is left to the National Policing Bill.”
According to him, the proposed legislation would address issues necessary for a smooth operationalisation of the state police system.
Tinubu stated, “The proposed National Policing Bill will include provisions on minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions.”
The president said the committee would produce an implementation-ready draft bill immediately after the constitutional amendment process.
“The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly,” Tinubu said.
He said the committee was necessary to avoid delay after the State Police bill was passed.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” he said.
Delta Approves State Police Amendment
Delta State House of Assembly, yesterday, approved the Sixth Alteration Bill of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to give legislative muscle to the proposed State Police Services in the country.
The approval followed deliberation on a letter from the National Assembly seeking the consideration and concurrence of the 36 States Houses of Assembly in the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
Speaker, Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, read the letter on the floor of the Assembly, outlining the objective of the bill, which sought to provide a constitutional framework for the establishment of State Police Services while preserving the Nigeria Police Force as the Federal Police Service.
Majority Leader, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi, said the proposed amendment aimed to guarantee security of life and property through a dual policing system, allowing states to establish and fund their own police services to address rising cases of insecurity, particularly at the local level.
The lawmakers generally agreed that the bill would strengthen local intelligence gathering, improve response to security challenges, create employment opportunities, and help tackle insecurity at the grassroots more effectively.
Support for the bill was unanimous, with all 23 members present at plenary affirming their support.
While commending the members for their patriotism and overwhelming support for the bill, Guwor stated that the establishment of State Police would ensure a safer environment and engender the desired development of Delta State.
He stated, “Distinguished colleagues, I commend you for approving the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, in line with Section 9 sub-section (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered).
“This is a significant step towards the establishment of State Police in Nigeria. It brings us closer to a policing system that is more responsive to our communities, improves intelligence gathering, and strengthens our capacity to tackle security challenges.
“For Delta State, this reform holds great promise for protecting lives and property, sustaining peace and creating a safer environment for investment and development in line with the M.O.R.E Agenda of our amiable Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori.”
The speaker thereafter directed Clerk of the House, Mr. Otto Aghoghophia, to communicate the resolution of the Delta State House of Assembly to the National Assembly appropriately.
Earlier, the legislators observed one-minute silence in honour of former governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, who died on Monday, October 19, three days to his 72nd birthday.