The Federal Government has said the proposed National Policing Bill, which will provide the operational framework for establishing state police in Nigeria, is about 90 per cent ready and is expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly within two weeks.

Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday, October 15, 2026, after a meeting of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill at the State House in Abuja.

Gbajabiamila, who chairs the working group, said the committee was close to completing its assignment but needed to address a few outstanding issues, including observations submitted by state governors, before forwarding the proposed legislation to lawmakers.

“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90% ready,” he said.

He added that the committee expected to conclude the remaining work within approximately a week, although the Presidency said the bill would be transmitted within two weeks.

“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so,” Gbajabiamila stated.

The Chief of Staff described the proposed legislation as “the most consequential Bill of the administration so far”, noting that the working group had undertaken extensive deliberations since its steering committee began meeting on August 3.

The meeting brought together key government officials and security stakeholders, including Nigeria Governors’ Forum Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu.

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Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Bar Association and the Office of the National Security Adviser also participated in the deliberations.

The proposed law is intended to establish the legal and operational framework needed to implement state police, allowing state governments to establish their own police services alongside the existing federal police structure.

The move is part of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture amid persistent challenges, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, communal violence and other violent crimes.

Supporters of decentralised policing argue that state police could improve local intelligence gathering, shorten emergency response times and enable officers to respond more effectively to security threats within their communities.

However, the proposal has also raised concerns about possible political interference, funding disparities between states, human rights safeguards and the risk that governors could misuse state police against political opponents.

The National Policing Bill is distinct from the constitutional amendment required to permit states to establish their own police forces. The proposed legislation is intended to provide the practical rules, standards and safeguards for operating the system, while the constitutional amendment must complete the required approval process.

Both chambers of the National Assembly have approved the constitutional amendment proposal, but it still requires ratification by at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly before the constitutional change can take effect.

Gbajabiamila acknowledged concerns about the pace of ratification by state legislatures, with reports indicating that only a limited number of states had approved the amendment at the time of the meeting.

He nevertheless expressed confidence that the process would continue, insisting that there was broad national support for the reform.

“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he said.

The committee is expected to use its remaining deliberations to address the governors’ observations and ensure that the proposed legislation provides a workable structure for cooperation between federal and state police services.

The framework is also expected to clarify operational standards, accountability requirements and the relationship between the different levels of policing once the constitutional process is completed.

The planned transmission of the bill marks another step in a reform effort that has featured prominently in Nigeria’s security debate. However, the announcement does not mean that state police can begin operating immediately. The necessary constitutional approvals and legislative processes must still be completed before the proposed system can be implemented.

If the timeline announced by the Presidency is met, lawmakers could begin considering the National Policing Bill in the coming weeks, bringing Nigeria closer to a decentralised policing structure intended to address the country’s diverse security challenges.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered counterfeit packaging materials bearing the names of popular alcoholic beverage brands, including Jameson and Glenfiddich, during a raid on five shops at Old Court Road Market in Aba, Abia State.

The agency said the seized materials were worth more than ₦200 million, raising concerns about the production and distribution of counterfeit packaging that could be used to make fake products appear genuine.

The operation targeted shops suspected of producing and supplying counterfeit packaging materials for alcoholic beverages and other consumer products. NAFDAC said its Investigation and Enforcement operatives carried out the raid following credible intelligence.

In a statement shared on Wednesday, October 14, the agency disclosed that the operation uncovered fake labels, corks, packs and outer packaging materials bearing the names of several well-known brands.

Apart from Jameson and Glenfiddich, the recovered materials reportedly carried the names of Four Cousins, Lord’s Dry Gin, Imperial Blue, Goya Oil, Chelsea, Squadron and Seaman’s Aromatic Schnapps.

The agency estimated the value of the counterfeit packaging materials at more than ₦200 million. However, its disclosure focused on packaging materials bearing the brands’ names and did not establish that finished bottles of all the affected brands were recovered during the operation.

NAFDAC said its enforcement team encountered threats and resistance from some traders during the raid, making it difficult to evacuate the seized materials. The owners of the five shops were reportedly absent when the operatives arrived.

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To prevent interference with the materials left behind, the agency said the affected premises were placed on hold while steps were taken to secure them. NAFDAC subsequently invited the chairman of the market union, who reportedly pledged to ensure the security of the premises and assist in identifying and presenting the shop owners to the authorities.

The agency did not publicly identify the owners of the affected shops in its account of the operation. The identities of the individuals behind the suspected counterfeiting activity, the sources of the materials and their intended destinations remain unclear.

The seizure has renewed concerns about the risks posed by counterfeit packaging in Nigeria’s alcoholic beverage market. Fake labels, bottle closures and outer packaging can make it difficult for consumers to distinguish genuine products from counterfeit goods, particularly when imitation packaging closely resembles that of established brands.

Where such materials are used to package adulterated or unregulated drinks, consumers may have no reliable way of determining the contents or the conditions under which the products were manufactured. The consumption of counterfeit or adulterated alcoholic beverages can expose people to dangerous substances and serious health complications.

NAFDAC has previously conducted enforcement operations against suspected counterfeit beverage production in Aba. In December 2023, the agency announced a separate operation at Eziukwu Market, also known as Cemetery Market, targeting shops allegedly used to produce counterfeit and adulterated beverages and other consumer goods.

The agency reported that the earlier operation involved more than 240 shops and resulted in the destruction of over 1,500 cartons of fake and substandard products, with the confiscated and destroyed goods valued at approximately ₦750 million. That operation was separate from the latest raid at Old Court Road Market.

NAFDAC is responsible for regulating the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement and sale of regulated products in Nigeria, including food, medicines and beverages. Through its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, the agency conducts operations against counterfeit, adulterated, substandard and unregistered products.

The latest seizure highlights the importance of enforcement efforts targeting not only fake finished products but also the packaging materials that can facilitate counterfeiting. Consumers are advised to purchase alcoholic beverages from reputable retailers and remain alert to suspicious packaging, broken seals, unusual product appearances and prices that are significantly lower than normal.

However, the presence of a familiar label alone does not establish that a drink is genuine. Effective regulatory oversight, supply-chain monitoring and product traceability remain important safeguards against counterfeit goods.

NAFDAC said steps were being taken to secure the affected premises and identify the shop owners. The full extent of the suspected counterfeiting operation, including whether the recovered materials had already been used to package fake products, has not been established in the information released by the agency.