Nigeria advances constitutional amendment to create state police

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said that after months of consultations among the executive, the National Assembly and security authorities, a constitutional amendment to establish state police is close to completion. The amendment will be followed by enabling legislation. President Bola Tinubu has consistently promoted the decentralised policing model, arguing it will strengthen internal security, improve local intelligence gathering and enable faster response to kidnapping, banditry and other violent crime.

The consultative meeting was held at the State House in Abuja and attended by senior officials including Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Attorney‑General Lateef Fagbemi and Inspector‑General of Police Tunji Disu. Gbajabiamila emphasized that "Establishing state police is not something that you do with the snap of the fingers" and that the government is now focusing on the specific constitutional changes required before the new police structures can be enacted.