The Presidency has announced significant progress toward the establishment of state police, revealing that a constitutional amendment to support the initiative is expected soon.

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday after a high-level consultative meeting on state police held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Presidency Reports Progress on State Police

Speaking to State House Correspondents, Gbajabiamila said discussions on the framework for state police began several months ago following a directive from President Bola Tinubu.

He explained that while there is widespread support for the initiative, the process requires careful consideration of constitutional and legal issues before implementation.

“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 you do with the snap of the fingers. There is a lot involved in terms of constitution and legalities, and thank God we have now gained a lot of traction.”

Constitutional Amendment Under Consideration

According to Gbajabiamila, discussions have advanced to the stage of considering the constitutional amendments required to create a legal foundation for state police.

He noted that the enabling legislation would follow once the constitutional amendment process is completed.

“Hopefully, the amendment will come shortly, and the details of the amendment will come after that,” he added.

“Right now, what we are looking at is the constitutional amendment itself, and then the enabling law would follow thereafter.”

Tinubu to Receive Report

The Chief of Staff said President Tinubu would receive a detailed report on the outcome of the consultations.

He stressed that the national conversation has largely shifted from whether state police should exist to how the institution should be structured and regulated.

Gbajabiamila also reiterated that the initiative is aimed at improving grassroots security, enhancing intelligence gathering and strengthening the ability of state governments to tackle security threats.

Top Officials Attend Meeting

The meeting was attended by several senior government officials, including Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, and Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu.

The Federal Government has held a series of consultations on the proposal as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s growing security challenges through a decentralised policing structure.