The long-running push for state policing gained fresh momentum on Wednesday as the Senate approved a constitutional amendment bill providing for the establishment of state police services across the country.
The approval came barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill to the National Assembly, requesting the amendment of relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to create a legal and institutional framework for the establishment, regulation, and operation of state police forces across Nigeria’s 36 states.
Ahead of the approval, the Senate had outlined key safeguards to prevent abuse of the proposed system, including provisions aimed at restricting governors from using state police for partisan, ethnic, religious, sectional, or personal interests.
It also stressed that, once the constitution is amended, the National Assembly would be empowered to set national minimum standards covering recruitment, training, vetting, promotions, discipline, use of force, firearms management, complaints procedures, accountability, data management, and professional conduct.
Leading the debate on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 2026, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, presented the framework and objectives of the proposal on Wednesday.
Bamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, explained that the bill, sponsored by the President was designed to balance local policing autonomy with national cohesion, as well as accountability with operational efficiency and federal oversight with state responsibility.
He noted that the proposal retains the Nigeria Police Force for federal policing duties while allowing states that choose to opt in to establish their own police services.
According to him, the proposed structure assigns state police responsibilities such as enforcing state laws, maintaining public safety and order, preventing and detecting crimes within their jurisdictions, and protecting lives and property, among other local policing duties.
On the other hand, he explained that the federal police would retain responsibility for national security functions, including the protection of federal institutions, counter-terrorism operations, combating organised crime and cybercrime, border security, arms trafficking, interstate criminal activities, and other nationwide security concerns.
Bamidele further clarified the conditions under which federal police intervention could be activated at the subnational level.
He said such powers would only apply in cases of a breakdown of public order in a state, inability of state police to function effectively, serious violations of fundamental rights, documented electoral intimidation, or threats to national security.
He added that such intervention must be formally authorised in writing by the President and Commander-in-Chief, would be limited in scope and duration, subject to Senate oversight, and open to judicial review.
Reiterating the intent of the bill, Bamidele said it was designed to strike a balance between decentralised policing and national unity, ensuring accountability, efficiency, and constitutional safeguards.
He further stated that the proposal includes strong provisions to prevent abuse of power, preserve federal authority where necessary, protect citizens’ rights, and establish a modern policing system capable of responding to evolving security challenges.
Seconding the bill, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, said he had previously opposed the idea of state police but now believed the current security situation in the country made its establishment necessary.
Also lending his support, former Sokoto State Governor and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing, Senator Waziri Tambuwal, noted that he had consistently advocated for state police as a response to growing security concerns across the federation.
In the same vein, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Monguno, called for broader legislative support for the constitutional amendment, stressing that state policing would enhance the ability of subnational governments to respond more effectively to security challenges within their jurisdictions.
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