State Police gaining traction, constitutional amendment underway —Gbajabiamila

By Egena Sunday Ode

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the Federal Government’s committee on state police has made significant progress, with constitutional amendments to enable the outfit expected “shortly.”
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja after a special meeting of the committee on Thursday, Gbajabiamila disclosed that deliberations on establishing state police have been ongoing for the past three to four months at the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Establishing the state police is not something that you do with a wave of the hand or a snap of a finger,” Gbajabiamila said. “There’s a lot involved in terms of the constitution and legalities. And thank God now we’ve gained a lot of traction.”
He explained that the committee is currently focused on the constitutional amendment itself, noting that details of the amendment and the enabling law would follow thereafter.
“Hopefully the amendment will come shortly and then the details of the amendment will come after that. Right now what we’re looking at is the constitutional amendment itself, and then the enabling law will follow,” he stated.
Gbajabiamila said there is already national consensus on the need for state police, adding that President Tinubu has been pushing for it since last year. “I don’t think there is any debate on that. It is something that the president has wanted and has been talking about for some time since last year,” he said.
The Chief of Staff added that President Tinubu will receive a full report on the meeting and its outcome.
The renewed push for state police comes amid growing agitation for decentralized policing, fueled by rampant abduction of schoolchildren and rising insecurity across several Nigerian states.