The Federal Government has taken another step towards establishing state police in Nigeria, following the submission of a draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 related amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill submitted the documents to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on October 19, 2026, for legislative drafting review and validation.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and chairman of the working group.
According to Gbajabiamila, the submission marks the completion of the drafting stage of the group’s assignment, with the Ministry of Justice expected to examine the proposed legislation to ensure it meets established drafting standards and does not conflict with existing laws.
The ministry is expected to return the reviewed bills to the working group on or before Friday, October 30, 2026.
Following the review, the group will give the documents a final consideration before presenting them to President Tinubu, bringing its assignment to a close.
The proposed National Policing Bill seeks to establish the legal and constitutional framework for a dual policing system in Nigeria, comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
The proposal comes amid continued discussions about restructuring the country’s policing system and the need to strengthen security arrangements across the federation.
If approved and subsequently enacted through the required legislative process, the proposal would provide a framework for the establishment of state police alongside the federal police structure.
However, the submission of the draft bills does not mean state police have been established, as the proposal must still pass through the necessary stages before becoming law.
Gbajabiamila said the working group remained committed to a transparent and thorough process that would produce a comprehensive legislative proposal for the President’s consideration and possible transmission to the National Assembly.
He also noted that the work was proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, by state Houses of Assembly.
The constitutional amendment process must be completed before the bill can be transmitted to the National Assembly, according to the statement.
The submission of the draft National Policing Bill and the accompanying amendment bills therefore represents a further step in the government’s effort to develop a legal framework for the proposed policing arrangement, although the final outcome will depend on the subsequent review and legislative processes.
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