Nigeria moved a significant step closer to establishing state police on Thursday after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to decentralise policing powers, in what Lawmakers described as a major shift in the country’s approach to tackling insecurity.
The bill sailed through the House with 289 Lawmakers voting in favour, one voting against and none abstaining, following confirmation that 290 members were present exceeding the constitutional requirement of a two-thirds quorum in the 360-member chamber.
The decisive vote marks one of the most consequential constitutional reforms undertaken by the National Assembly in recent years and could fundamentally alter Nigeria’s security framework if eventually approved by state legislatures and signed into law.
At the centre of the amendment is the creation of a constitutional framework for state police, ending decades of exclusive federal control over policing and responding to growing calls for a security structure that is more responsive to local realities.
The legislation, which contains 18 clauses, seeks to amend Sections 214, 215 and 216 of the Constitution, alongside other related provisions, to establish a decentralised policing system with mechanisms for coordination, oversight and accountability between federal and subnational authorities.
The House accorded priority status to the bill, suspending voting on other constitutional amendment proposals to ensure its passage, an indication of the importance lawmakers attached to the measure.
The vote comes against the backdrop of persistent security challenges across the country, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and organised crime, which have fuelled demands for a review of Nigeria’s centralised policing model.
Supporters of state police argue that local law enforcement agencies would possess a better understanding of community dynamics, intelligence networks and security threats within their jurisdictions, enabling quicker and more effective responses.
Speaking after the passage of the bill, Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, said the decision reflected the legislature’s determination to strengthen national security through constitutional reform.
“Security is the foundation upon which every other aspiration of nationhood rests,” he said.
According to him, the House has taken a decisive constitutional step towards creating a policing framework capable of addressing local security challenges while preserving the unity and sovereignty of the country.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, described the outcome as a reflection of growing national consensus on the need for security sector reforms and improved governance structures.
The state police proposal is among several far-reaching constitutional amendments currently being considered by the National Assembly.
Other proposals cover electoral reforms, fiscal federalism, local government administration, judicial reforms, devolution of powers, human rights and institutional strengthening.
For many analysts, however, the state police bill remains the most politically significant of the ongoing constitutional review exercise because of its potential impact on governance and internal security.
The proposal must still secure the approval of at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s state Houses of Assembly before becoming part of the Constitution.
Nevertheless, Thursday’s near-unanimous vote has dramatically altered the trajectory of the national conversation on policing.
After years of debate, resistance and failed attempts at reform, the House of Representatives has delivered its clearest endorsement yet of a security model that could redefine how law enforcement is organised across Nigeria’s 36 states.
With only one dissenting vote recorded, lawmakers sent a strong signal that decentralised policing has moved from a policy proposition to a constitutional possibility.