Nigeria’s long-debated push for state policing has taken a major step forward after President Bola Tinubu formally transmitted the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate for consideration.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution and create a legal framework that would allow states to establish and operate their own police forces alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
The move is part of broader efforts to address Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, including banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, communal clashes, and other violent crimes that have stretched the country’s centralized policing system.
Supporters argue that state-controlled police forces would improve intelligence gathering, emergency response times, and local security coordination. However, the proposal has sparked a lot of concerns about security stakeholders and constitutional experts. Critics warn that the state police could be abused by governors for political purposes, including targeting opponents, suppressing dissent, or interfering in elections.
Because of these fears, the lawmakers backing the bill say they would add oversight mechanisms like State Police Service Commissions, legislative confirmation processes for senior officers, federal intervention during major security crisis, and standard guidelines.
The House of Representatives has already overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendment bill, while the Senate has advanced it for further review. The proposal must still secure Senate approval and the endorsement of at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s state assemblies before becoming law.
