The Presidency has announced that public submissions on the proposed National Policing Bill, which would create a framework for state police, will close at 5pm on Thursday, August 13.
Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the consultation is designed to draw on the experiences and professional expertise of Nigerians. He urged contributions particularly on three questions: how police services can be shielded from political interference, who should investigate serious misconduct cases, and how federal and state forces can share intelligence across state boundaries. "For too long, the debate has been framed as a choice between effective local policing and protection from political abuse. Nigeria needs both," he said.
Gbajabiamila said the proposed framework must contain strong safeguards preventing governors from using state police against political opponents, protesters, journalists, or minority communities, and stressed that officers would remain subject to the Constitution and rule of law. He noted the consultation does not replace the National Assembly's role, which retains full power to scrutinise, amend, reject, or pass the Bill once transmitted. The Bill is scheduled to be presented to President Tinubu on September 3.