By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Presidency has set September 3 as the deadline for the completion of a draft bill that will pave the way for the creation of state police across Nigeria.
The proposed National Policing Bill will provide the legal framework for a policing system where both the federal and state governments operate their own police services.
After President Bola Tinubu reviews and approves the draft, it will be presented to Nigerians for public input before being sent to the National Assembly.
The timeline was announced on Monday after the first meeting of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Chairman of the committee and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the government was determined to ensure the proposed state police system is supported by a strong legal framework.
He said the committee had adopted a seven-week work plan, with the draft Executive Bill expected to be submitted to President Tinubu on September 3.
Gbajabiamila said the committee would carry out legal drafting, policy research and technical reviews at the same time to meet the deadline without sacrificing quality.
He added that the final package would include not only the bill but also implementation plans, funding estimates, legal reviews, risk assessments and guidelines to help states implement the new policing system.
According to him, the committee was set up to ensure that once the Constitution is amended to allow state police, the legal and operational framework will already be in place.
He also announced that Nigerians would be invited to send suggestions through a dedicated website over the next 10 days, saying public participation is important to the success of the reform.
On concerns that some states may not have enough money to establish their own police services, Gbajabiamila said no state would be left behind because of financial challenges.
He explained that detailed assessments would determine what each state needs, while the Nigeria Police Force would continue to provide security in states that are not yet ready to operate their own police.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said the proposed law would include minimum national standards to ensure professionalism and prevent state police from being used for political purposes.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun said the committee was also working on issues such as funding, command structure, jurisdiction and operational responsibilities.
He added that the committee was considering recommending federal grants to help states establish their police services.
Gbajabiamila said decentralised policing is common in many federal countries and argued that Nigeria needs a new policing model to better address its security challenges.
