Presidential panel submits draft national policing bill, 29 amendment bills to Justice Ministry

A presidential working group has handed over a draft National Policing Bill (2026) and 29 related amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review, according to a statement from the group's chairman, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Gbajabiamila, who is Chief of Staff to the President, said the submission was made on Monday, 19 October 2026, to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi. The ministry will check that the bills meet drafting standards and do not clash with existing laws.

The proposed law would create a dual policing structure made up of a Federal Police Service and State Police Services. That is the part most likely to matter to ordinary Nigerians, because it touches who polices their streets, who answers for officers' conduct, and how security is funded and shared between Abuja and the states.

What happens next

The Ministry of Justice is expected to return the validated drafts to the working group on or before Friday, 30 October 2026. The group will then take a final look before presenting the bills to the President, which would end its mandate.

Gbajabiamila said the group is committed to a rigorous and transparent process that will produce a comprehensive proposal for the President and later for the National Assembly.

He also said the policing work is running alongside consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the states' Houses of Assembly. That process must be completed before the policing bill is sent to the National Assembly.

State policing has been a long-running debate in Nigeria, with supporters arguing that states understand local security problems better and critics warning about cost, political control and possible abuse. The sources did not say how the new services would be funded or how their powers would be divided.