State police bill: Gbajabiamila-led panel extends deadline for public input

State police bill: Gbajabiamila-led panel extends deadline for public input

ABUJA — The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to Friday, August 21, 2026.

The submissions must be made by 5 p.m. West Africa Time (WAT) through the official National Policing Bill portal.

The extension was announced on Thursday in a statement issued by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Gbajabiamila said the additional time would enable stakeholders to prepare more detailed submissions and allow interested individuals, institutions and organisations to make well-considered contributions to the proposed legislation.

He said the Working Group remained committed to broad consultation and would consider informed contributions from Nigerians and relevant stakeholders as it develops the National Policing Bill.

The proposed legislation is expected to establish the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework for an effective policing system capable of responding to Nigeria’s changing security needs.

It is also expected to provide safeguards for police accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.

“Given the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important that stakeholders are afforded more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process,” the statement said.

READ ALSO:

• Davido Halts London Concert, Threatens to Walk Off Stage Over Fan’s Disrespect to Staff
• 29-Year Kwankwaso Ally Who Swore on Qur’an Defects to APC
• ICPC Uncovers Official Who Enrolled 14 Family Members on Govt Payroll, Another Collected 13 Salaries

The panel specifically encouraged legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security-sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and other interested members of the public to use the extended period to submit their views.

“All submissions must be made on or before 5:00 p.m. WAT on Friday, August 21, 2026, exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com,” the statement added.

The extension comes as the Federal Government advances plans for a new national policing framework, including the proposed establishment of state police.

The reform has gained renewed attention amid persistent security challenges across Nigeria, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, communal violence and other forms of criminality.

Supporters of state police argue that a more decentralised policing structure could strengthen community intelligence, improve response times and enable security agencies to better understand local security threats.

However, concerns have also been raised over the possibility of political interference and abuse of state-controlled police structures. These concerns have made accountability, oversight and safeguards against political interference important elements of the proposed reform.

The Working Group said its assignment would require careful consideration of several issues, including sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination and accountability mechanisms.

The group will also consider safeguards against political interference and abuse to ensure that the proposed policing framework protects citizens while allowing security agencies to operate effectively.

The development of the National Policing Bill is linked to the ongoing constitutional process for the establishment of state police in Nigeria. The proposed reform seeks to create a legal framework that would allow policing responsibilities to be more effectively shared between federal and state authorities.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier inaugurated the Presidential Working Group to develop an implementation-ready draft of the bill for onward legislative consideration.

The Working Group brings together representatives from the Federal Government, state governments, the security sector and the legal profession, reflecting the broad institutional implications of the proposed state police system.

The Presidency has said the proposed framework is expected to address issues such as minimum policing standards, state readiness, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights protection and sustainable financing.

These issues are considered critical to ensuring that a decentralised policing system does not create significant disparities in policing standards or weaken national security coordination.

The Working Group said the issues under consideration underscore the need for extensive stakeholder engagement to develop a policing framework that is effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the security needs of communities across Nigeria.

“At the conclusion of its assignment, the Presidential Working Group will present a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing,” the statement said.

The panel thanked stakeholders who had already submitted memoranda and encouraged others intending to participate in the process to take advantage of the extended deadline.

With the new timeline, all memoranda and position papers must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026.

The submissions are expected to help shape the final draft of the legislation before it proceeds to the next stage of the legislative process.

State police bill: Gbajabiamila-led panel extends deadline for public input