Gani Fawehinmi Group Demands Release Of State Police Bill, 29 Amendment Bills, Warns Of Abuse Without Safeguards | Sahara Reporters

The organisation also urged the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to consider its proposed 42 safeguards for state policing and justice delivery during the ongoing review of the legislation.

The Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation (GAFAMORG) has demanded the immediate publication of the proposed National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 consequential amendment bills, warning that state police without enforceable safeguards could expose Nigerians to political persecution, arbitrary arrests, torture and other human rights abuses.

The organisation also urged the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to consider its proposed 42 safeguards for state policing and justice delivery during the ongoing review of the legislation.

GAFAMORG made the demands in a statement signed by its Governing Council Chairman, Agunbiade Tunde, and its Public Relations Officer, Ade-Adewunmi Adeoye.

The organisation was reacting to an announcement by the Presidential Working Group that it had completed drafting the proposed National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 consequential amendment bills and submitted them to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review and validation.

According to a statement issued on October 20, 2026, by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and chairman of the working group, the draft legislation was submitted on October 19. The ministry is expected to return the validated drafts by October 30 for final consideration before presentation to the President.

While acknowledging the development as significant in the debate over federal and state policing, GAFAMORG warned that completing the drafting process did not amount to democratic scrutiny of the proposed laws.

“Completion of drafting is not completion of democratic scrutiny, and a claim that a proposal is comprehensive cannot substitute for independent examination of its provisions,” the organisation said.

GAFAMORG said it was not opposed to decentralised policing but warned that transferring coercive powers to state authorities without adequate accountability could expose citizens to new forms of abuse.

“Our position is not that decentralised policing must fail. It is that transferring coercive powers without adequate accountability could expose citizens to new forms of abuse,” the statement said.

It argued that the central question was whether the proposed framework would ensure that state police operate professionally, impartially and within the law while remaining accountable to the public.

The organisation said its 42 Safeguards for State Policing and Justice Delivery were intended to help establish an accountable, people-centred policing system.

It urged the Ministry of Justice and the Presidential Working Group to examine the proposals and incorporate appropriate protections into the draft legislation.

GAFAMORG also demanded that the complete National Policing Bill and all 29 consequential amendment bills be made public to allow Nigerians to assess their provisions and determine whether adequate safeguards had been included.

“Until the texts are available, we cannot responsibly conclude whether our safeguards have been incorporated. That uncertainty makes publication and scrutiny more urgent, not less,” it said.

The organisation identified several issues it said the proposed framework must address, including protection against unlawful political instructions, independent investigations into complaints against police officers and senior commanders, and effective remedies for victims of misconduct.

It also called for safeguards against partisan interference in police recruitment, promotion, discipline and deployment, as well as protections for officers who refuse unlawful orders.

Other concerns included the auditing of police budgets, restrictions on surveillance technologies and the protection of lawful protests, labour activities, journalism and political opposition.

“These are not peripheral. They determine whether State Police can operate within a democratic order,” the statement said.

“The law must provide more than assurances; it must establish independent mechanisms, clear procedures, enforceable limits, accessible remedies and consequences for misconduct.”

Group Demands Explanation Of 29 Amendment Bills
GAFAMORG said the public needed to know which existing laws would be amended and how the changes would affect policing, criminal justice, human rights and relations between federal and state governments.

It called for the publication of explanatory documents alongside the bills to enable citizens, lawyers, researchers, labour unions and civil society organisations to assess the proposals and submit memoranda.

“The public needs to know which laws will be amended and how changes will affect policing, criminal justice, human rights and federal-state relations,” the organisation said.

It also urged State Houses of Assembly to ensure that the constitutional process surrounding state police was accompanied by meaningful public consultation.

States yet to decide on the proposed constitutional amendment should publish the relevant proposals, organise public hearings and allow citizens to express their views, it said. States that had already approved the amendment should continue scrutinising the implementing legislation and demand accountability safeguards.

GAFAMORG cautioned against allowing administrative deadlines to undermine constitutional requirements and public scrutiny.

“The 30-day period communicated by the National Assembly was an administrative target, not a substitute for constitutional requirements. No timetable should sacrifice meaningful scrutiny of a reform with far-reaching consequences,” it said.

NLC, TUC, NBA Urged To Intervene
The organisation called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), human rights groups, professional associations, academics and media organisations to intensify their engagement with the proposed legislation.

It urged stakeholders to study the 42 safeguards, prepare independent memoranda and work towards common minimum standards for state policing.

According to GAFAMORG, labour unions should protect workers engaged in lawful union activities, while professional bodies should contribute expertise on law, policing, finance, technology and justice delivery.

“Weaknesses must be addressed now; it will be far harder to correct them after powers become operational,” the statement said.

The organisation acknowledged Nigeria’s security challenges and the need for reforms that improve crime prevention and community safety. However, it insisted that effective policing must go hand in hand with democratic accountability.

“The people need police that protects them from criminals, and protection from unlawful exercise of police power,” it said.

GAFAMORG added that safeguards should not depend on the goodwill of governors, presidents or police commanders but must be guaranteed by law.

It said it was ready to engage with the Ministry of Justice, the Presidential Working Group, the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and other stakeholders to improve the proposed framework.

“The test of this reform must not be speed or number of institutions created, but whether it protects people against crime while preventing political manipulation, arbitrary power and impunity,” the organisation said.

It concluded: “Security must protect the people. Police power must be accountable. Justice must be accessible. Democracy must defend human dignity.”