President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a constitutional amendment bill to the Senate seeking the establishment of state police across Nigeria.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to provide a legal framework for the creation and operation of state police in the country.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed the development during an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, where he read the President’s letter to lawmakers.
Although the bill was transmitted with its various clauses, Akpabio did not disclose the details of the provisions. He only stated that the relevant clauses were attached to the proposed legislation.
According to the letter, the bill is intended to complement work already done by the National Assembly, including the version of the state police bill earlier passed by the House of Representatives, as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
“The bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving national security challenges will be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians,” the letter read.
President Tinubu described the proposed legislation as a critical part of his administration’s plan to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture and better protect citizens.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens. And I’m confident that the Senate will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” he added.
After reading the letter, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review for further legislative consideration.
He directed the committee to report back to the Senate on Wednesday for possible final consideration.
The latest development comes after the Senate, on June 11, passed for second reading a separate bill seeking to establish state police, following broad support from lawmakers during plenary.
That bill was expected to proceed to a public hearing where stakeholders would present their views and concerns. However, with the President’s transmission of a constitutional amendment bill, it remains unclear whether lawmakers will still conduct a public hearing before final passage.
If enacted, the bill would mark one of the most significant security reforms in Nigeria’s recent history by allowing individual states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
Since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, policing has remained largely under the exclusive control of the Federal Government, with state governments repeatedly calling for a more decentralised security structure.
Supporters of state police argue that localised policing would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing, and enable quicker responses to local security threats, including armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, communal clashes and terrorism.
Over the years, governors, civil society organisations and security experts have repeatedly called for the creation of state police as insecurity worsened across different parts of the country.
The idea was also recommended by participants at the National Conference convened under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration as part of proposals to address insecurity and deepen federalism.
In the absence of a formal state police structure, several regions have established informal or regional security outfits, including Amotekun in the South-West, Ebube Agu in the South-East and Hisbah in parts of the North-West.
However, the proposal remains contentious.
Opponents have warned that, without strong safeguards, state police could be misused by governors to harass political opponents, suppress dissent, intimidate citizens or stifle press freedom.