The Presidency has clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not instructed officials on what should be included in the proposed National Policing Bill, insisting that the legislation is being developed through consultations with stakeholders across the country.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research, Nnadubem Moghalu, said the President’s priority is to ensure that the proposed law is practical and works effectively for Nigerians, rather than personally deciding its contents.
“The President has not dictated to us specifics of what will go into the National Policing Bill. What we have now is a desire to build something that will be implementable and will work for all Nigerians,” Moghalu said.
Moghalu, who also serves as Secretary of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, explained that while the recently passed constitutional amendment created the legal foundation for federal and state policing, the proposed bill will provide the operational framework needed to make the system functional.
“The constitutional amendment provides the framework architecture… and the National Policing Bill will put some flesh on those bones,” he stated.
According to him, the bill will address key issues including funding, recruitment, training, certification, command structure, jurisdiction and cooperation between federal and state police formations.
He noted that the law would also define how both policing systems should respond to situations where suspects move across state boundaries.
“Imagine a criminal commits an offence in Anambra and runs into Enugu or Kogi. Whatever the correct response is, that answer has to be settled as a matter of law,” Moghalu explained.
The presidential aide disclosed that the government has opened a nationwide call for memoranda to encourage public participation in drafting the bill.
He said 17 thematic areas have been identified for public input, covering issues such as national policing standards, state readiness, federal and state policing architecture, jurisdiction, inspection, compliance and the establishment of state police services.
Moghalu added that a 26-member Policy Advisory Committee, chaired by retired Court of Appeal Justice Muhammad Abba Leman, will review the draft before it is presented to President Tinubu.
He encouraged Nigerians to contribute to the process, stressing that policing affects everyone regardless of social or economic status.
“If you are a Nigerian living in Nigeria today, it doesn’t matter whether you are wealthy or poor… at some point in your life, you will interact with the police,” he said.
Source: Channels Television.
