State police: Presidency closes public submissions today

The Presidency has announced that public submissions on the proposed National Policing Bill will close by 5 pm on Thursday, August 13, 2026, urging Nigerians to submit their views on the planned establishment of state police.

The Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Wednesday, saying the consultation was designed to incorporate the experiences and professional expertise of Nigerians into the proposed legislation.

He said the submissions would be particularly useful in addressing concerns over political interference, oversight, police misconduct and intelligence-sharing between federal and state police services.

He said the consultation would not replace the role of the National Assembly, which would retain the power to scrutinise, amend, reject or pass the Bill when transmitted.

Gbajabiamila urged Nigerians to contribute to the process, particularly on how police services could be protected from political interference, who should investigate serious misconduct and how federal and state forces could share intelligence across state boundaries.

He said, “For too long, the debate has been framed as a choice between effective local policing and protection from political abuse. Nigeria needs both.

“We can bring policing closer to the people while building strong national standards, independent oversight and firm safeguards for every citizen. The time to fix policing in Nigeria is now, and we must see the work through.”

Gbajabiamila also stressed that the proposed state police system must contain strong safeguards to prevent governors from using the force against political opponents, protesters, journalists, minority communities and other citizens.

Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, said although state police could bring policing closer to communities and improve responses to local security challenges, its proximity to state governments raised legitimate concerns about political interference and abuse of power.

He said, “But proximity does not guarantee justice. The concern that governors might use state police against political opponents, minority communities or dissenting voices is serious and must be answered in the design of the law.”

He added that state police services must have lawful authority within their jurisdictions while remaining subject to the constitution, human rights and the rule of law.

According to him, the proposed framework should ensure that police officers are properly recruited, trained, equipped and supervised, while citizens must have access to credible complaints and oversight mechanisms.

Gbajabiamila said the reforms were aimed at creating a policing system that was “closer, faster and better informed by local conditions,” noting that officers familiar with a community’s language, geography and crime patterns would be better positioned to gather intelligence and respond to security threats.

|PUNCH|