State Police Will Soon Become Reality in Nigeria — Presidency

The Presidency has expressed optimism that state police will soon become a reality in Nigeria, saying the reform would help reduce ungoverned spaces and improve national security.

The special adviser to the president on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated this while commending President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, state assemblies and governors for advancing the proposed reform.

In a post on his X account, Onanuga said the stakeholders deserved praise for pushing through what he described as a necessary reform.

“State police will soon be a reality in Nigeria, helping reduce ungoverned spaces and improve national security,” he said.

His comments followed a statement by the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, which announced that the proposed state police amendment had cleared the constitutional threshold in state assemblies.

The development marks progress in efforts to amend the Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police in Nigeria.

Proponents of state police argue that decentralising policing could enable states to respond more effectively to local security threats and improve security at the grassroots.