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President Bola Tinubu has transmitted the state police bill to the Senate, asking lawmakers to amend the constitution and create a legal path for Nigerian states to run their own police forces. The move is one of the boldest security reforms of his administration so far.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the president’s letter on the floor during plenary. The proposed law is titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026, and the letter was dated June 15.
What the state police bill proposes
The bill seeks to alter the 1999 Constitution to allow the establishment of state police services across the country. At present, Nigeria runs a single, centrally controlled police force, a structure many governors and security experts say is stretched too thin to cover a nation of more than 200 million people.
Tinubu described the amendment as critical to reorganising Nigeria’s security architecture. He urged the National Assembly to act quickly, framing decentralised policing as a way to bring law enforcement closer to communities facing kidnapping, banditry and communal violence.
How the bill moves through the Senate
The proposal was read for the first time during plenary and referred to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for expedited consideration. Akpabio said the upper chamber would take up the bill without unnecessary delay, signalling strong leadership backing.
Constitution amendments are not simple. For the change to take effect, the National Assembly must pass it by the required margin, and at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly, meaning a minimum of 24 states, must approve it. Only then does the amendment return to the president for assent.
Why state police is a divisive idea
Supporters argue that local police would understand their communities, respond faster and gather better intelligence than officers posted far from home. Many governors have demanded the change for years, saying they carry the blame for insecurity without controlling the forces meant to fix it.
Critics worry about abuse. They fear some governors could turn state police into private tools against rivals, or that poorer states may struggle to fund and equip their own forces. Questions about training, oversight and salaries remain central to the debate.
The debate is not new. Successive administrations and security summits have floated state policing as an answer to worsening insecurity, but the idea has repeatedly stalled over fears of misuse and funding gaps. What is different now is that the proposal has formally reached the legislature with presidential backing.
Security analysts say the design will matter as much as the principle. Clear rules on recruitment, command, funding and human-rights oversight could ease fears of abuse, while a rushed or vague law could create new problems. Lawmakers are expected to weigh these details closely during the committee stage.
What happens next
The bill now sits with the constitution review committee, which will study the details before the full Senate debates it. The House of Representatives has already shown support for the broader constitutional amendment effort, which improves the chances of the proposal advancing.
If lawmakers and the states eventually sign off, it would mark one of the most significant changes to Nigerian policing in decades. For now, the country watches as the state police bill begins its long journey through the National Assembly.
Whatever the outcome, the transmission shows the federal government is willing to put the contested reform back on the national agenda. The next moves by senators and state assemblies will decide whether the idea finally becomes law.
