President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a constitutional amendment bill to the Senate aimed at establishing state police across Nigeria, a move that could usher in one of the country’s most significant security reforms.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow states to create and manage their own police services while retaining the existing Nigeria Police Force at the federal level.
If approved, the bill would fundamentally reshape Nigeria’s security architecture, ending the long-standing system of exclusive federal control over policing that has been in place since the return to democracy in 1999.
Sources within the National Assembly confirmed that the Senate has received the bill and is expected to schedule it for first reading in the coming weeks, after which lawmakers will begin formal consideration in line with constitutional procedures.
Supporters of state police argue that decentralising law enforcement will strengthen intelligence gathering, improve community policing, and enable faster responses to local security threats, especially amid growing insecurity in several parts of the country.
However, critics have raised concerns that state police could be abused by governors, subjected to political influence, or used against opposition figures and rival groups.
As a constitutional amendment, the proposal must secure the backing of two-thirds of both chambers of the National Assembly before being sent to the 36 state Houses of Assembly. It will require approval from at least 24 state legislatures before it can be signed into law by the President.
If enacted, the amendment would create a dual policing system in which federal and state police agencies operate within constitutionally defined jurisdictions, significantly changing Nigeria’s approach to internal security and law enforcement.
The Senate is expected to subject the bill to extensive scrutiny, including public hearings and consultations with key stakeholders, as debate begins on what many consider a landmark security reform proposal.
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