The Presidency has set 5pm on Thursday, August 13, as the deadline for public submissions on the proposed National Policing Bill. The bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the establishment of state police in Nigeria.
The Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the deadline on Wednesday. He urged Nigerians to submit their views before the deadline. He said their input would help address concerns about political interference, police misconduct, oversight and intelligence sharing.
Gbajabiamila said the consultation would not replace the role of the National Assembly. The lawmakers will still review, amend, reject or pass the bill when it is presented.
Presidency outlines safeguards for state police
Gbajabiamila said the proposed system must prevent governors from using state police against political opponents, protesters, journalists and minority groups. He noted that state police could improve security by bringing officers closer to local communities. However, he acknowledged concerns about possible political abuse.
“The concern that governors might use state police against political opponents, minority communities or dissenting voices is serious and must be answered in the design of the law.”
He said officers must operate within the Constitution, human rights standards and the rule of law. The framework would also cover recruitment, training, equipment, discipline and complaints. Gbajabiamila said local officers could respond faster because they would understand their communities, language, geography and crime patterns.
Constitutional amendment still required
The Chief of Staff explained that Nigeria’s Constitution currently provides for one police force under Section 214. Therefore, a constitutional amendment must happen before states can establish their own police services. He said both chambers of the National Assembly had approved proposed amendments for Federal Police and State Police Services. However, the process is not yet complete.
The amendment must also receive approval from at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before it can reach the President for assent. Until that process is completed, Gbajabiamila stressed that state police remains a proposal.
States will decide whether to establish police
Gbajabiamila said the National Policing Bill would set standards for recruitment, training, pay, pensions and professional conduct. It would also provide rules on the use of force, complaints, discipline, oversight and cooperation between federal and state police services. However, state police would not automatically begin nationwide if the proposed reforms become law.
“Each state that chooses to establish a service will still need its own enabling law, institutions and funding.”
He added that states that do not establish their own police services would continue to receive security services from the Nigeria Police Force.
Read also: Tinubu to receive state police bill for review September 3
