Tinubu to receive Executive bill on state police September 3, says Gbajabiamila

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill will submit the Executive State Police Bill to President Bola Tinubu for consideration on September 3 as part of efforts to establish a legal framework for state policing, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said.

Gbajabiamila, who chairs the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, disclosed this on Monday while bringing State House correspondents at the State House, Abuja.

He said the seven-week assignment, which began on July 27 and will run until September 14, is aimed at producing a comprehensive National Policing Bill and supporting legislative package to operationalise Nigeria’s proposed dual policing system.

“The resulting Executive Bill package is scheduled for presentation to the President on 3 September. Subject to his approval, a national consultation on the completed draft will follow, after which the text and supporting materials will be revised and prepared for formal transmission to the National Assembly,” he said.

Gbajabiamila stressed that although the National Assembly had made significant progress on the constitutional amendment establishing state police, no state police service currently exists in Nigeria.

According to him, the Senate approved the constitutional proposal on June 24, while the House of Representatives passed the Executive State Police Bill on July 23. However, the amendment must still secure the approval of state Houses of Assembly before it can take effect.

“Until that process is concluded and the necessary implementing laws are enacted, there is no operational State Police Service anywhere in Nigeria, and the Nigeria Police Force remains the constitutionally recognised police institution,” he said.

He explained that the constitutional amendment alone would not provide the legal and operational framework required to run state police, noting that key issues such as recruitment, training, funding, command structure, jurisdiction, complaints, firearms regulation, pensions, data management and federal-state cooperation would be addressed in the National Policing Bill.