President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the establishment of state police to the Senate, in a move that could significantly reshape Nigeria’s security architecture.
Key Highlights:
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, disclosed the development during plenary on Tuesday, saying lawmakers would begin consideration of the proposed constitutional amendment on Wednesday.
Akpabio also revealed that state governments had indicated their readiness to consider the proposal immediately after its transmission, signalling growing support for decentralised policing across the federation.
The bill seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the creation and operation of state police.
The latest move follows sustained calls by Tinubu for constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening security at the sub-national level.
In February, Tinubu urged the National Assembly to amend the constitution to accommodate state police, arguing that the reform has become imperative in addressing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other security threats confronting the country.
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Reiterating his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity during his Democracy Day address earlier this month, the president vowed that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full weight of the law.
According to him, more than 13,000 terrorists were neutralised within the past year, while terrorism-related fatalities had dropped significantly compared to previous years.
However, the president acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remained a stark reminder of the security challenges still facing the nation.
The state police proposal has gained momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment efforts designed to decentralise policing powers and improve local security responses.
The Senate is expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session as lawmakers move to fast-track consideration of the bill, regarded as one of the most far-reaching security reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
If passed by the National Assembly and approved by the required number of state Houses of Assembly, the amendment would pave the way for the establishment of state-controlled police forces across the country.
