The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned President Bola Tinubu against rushing the establishment of state police.
This was just as he cautioned that poor planning could create additional security challenges for the country.
Ayodele gave the warning on Friday in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, who argued that the government must address outstanding issues before implementing the proposed policing system.
The cleric expressed concern that conflicts could emerge between state police officers and the existing Nigeria Police Force if adequate arrangements were not made before implementation.
He acknowledged that state police could help tackle insecurity in Nigeria but warned that poor planning could undermine the initiative.
He said: “There will be a lot of issues between the state police and the regular police. It is not something to rush; it will not end crime or terrorism. There will be a lot of things involved.
“There is a lot to do in order to manage state police; there are factors involved. They shouldn’t rush it.
“State police is a good initiative; it is an initiative that can help Nigeria’s insecurity, but if it is not well established, it will only create more problems for the country. The government must be careful and not be in a haste to get it done.”
His warning comes amid progress in the proposed constitutional amendment to establish a dual policing system in Nigeria.
In September, the National Assembly transmitted the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.
The state assemblies were given an expected administrative timeframe of 30 days to communicate their decisions.
Politics Nigeria reports that the proposed amendment seeks to establish a dual policing system comprising the Federal Police Service and state police services.
On Friday, October 23, 2026, the Presidency confirmed that 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly had approved the amendment, meeting the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional alteration.
The Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this in a statement.
According to the statement, the approval by the state assemblies fulfilled the constitutional requirement for the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026.
The Working Group commended the state assemblies for their approval and the National Assembly for passing the amendment in both chambers.
“In line with Section 9 of the Constitution, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to Mr President for assent,” the statement read.
It is understood the proposed amendment would provide constitutional backing for the policing framework outlined in the draft National Policing Bill, 2026.
The Working Group also disclosed that the draft bills were undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice and were expected to be returned on or before Friday, October 30, 2026.
It added that the group would give the bills final consideration before presenting them to President Tinubu.
The Working Group urged stakeholders to support the transition to a dual policing system, which it said was aimed at improving the safety of Nigerians.
