The Nigerian Senate has taken a significant step toward restructuring the nation’s security architecture by passing a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services across the federation, while simultaneously introducing stringent safeguards to prevent potential abuse of the system by state governors.
The landmark legislation, titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, scaled through the Red Chamber on Wednesday following an extensive clause-by-clause consideration and a manual voting process in which more than two-thirds of senators voted in support.
The bill, which seeks to decentralise policing in Nigeria, now awaits consideration by the House of Representatives. It must also secure presidential assent and receive approval from a majority of the State Houses of Assembly before becoming law.
Leading debate on the proposed amendment, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed that the bill contains robust constitutional safeguards designed to ensure that state police formations are not manipulated for political, ethnic, religious, sectional, or personal interests.
According to Bamidele, the legislation was transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen internal security, improve law enforcement effectiveness, and bring policing closer to local communities while preserving national unity and constitutional order.
He explained that the proposed framework seeks to retain the Nigeria Police Force as the nation’s central policing institution while empowering states that choose to adopt the model to establish their own police services tailored to local security needs.
Under the proposed arrangement, state police agencies would be responsible for enforcing state laws, maintaining public safety and order, preventing and detecting crimes within their jurisdictions, protecting lives and property, and carrying out other community-based policing responsibilities.
Conversely, the Federal Police would continue to oversee matters of national security, including the protection of federal institutions, counter-terrorism operations, organised crime investigations, cybercrime enforcement, border security, arms trafficking, and interstate criminal activities.
To prevent conflicts of authority and ensure accountability, the bill clearly outlines the circumstances under which federal authorities may intervene in state policing matters. Such intervention, Bamidele noted, would only occur in exceptional situations, including a breakdown of public order within a state, operational incapacity of a state police service, serious violations of fundamental human rights, widespread electoral intimidation, or threats to national security.
He further explained that any federal intervention would require written authorisation from the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, be limited in scope and duration, remain subject to Senate oversight, and be open to judicial review.
“The bill seeks to balance local policing autonomy with national cohesion, accountability with operational effectiveness, and federal oversight with state responsibility,” Bamidele stated.
He added that the proposed legislation establishes a modern policing framework capable of addressing contemporary security challenges while safeguarding constitutional rights and maintaining the integrity of democratic institutions.
The bill received strong backing from several lawmakers during debate.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, revealed that although he had previously opposed the creation of state police, worsening security challenges across the country had convinced him of its necessity.
According to Abaribe, the current security realities require a more decentralised and responsive policing structure capable of addressing local threats and emerging criminal activities more effectively.
Former Governor of Sokoto State and serving Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, also expressed support for the proposal, reiterating his long-standing advocacy for state policing as a practical solution to Nigeria’s security concerns.
Similarly, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, urged lawmakers to support the amendment, arguing that empowering states with greater responsibility for security management would significantly enhance efforts to combat crime and maintain public safety at the grassroots level.
The passage of the bill marks one of the most significant constitutional reform efforts in Nigeria’s recent democratic history and signals a growing consensus among lawmakers on the need to rethink the country’s security structure amid persistent challenges such as banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, communal conflicts, and other forms of criminality.
As the legislation progresses through the remaining constitutional processes, stakeholders across the country are expected to intensify discussions on the implications, opportunities, and challenges associated with the proposed state police system.
