Senate passes historic state police bill, swears-in four new senators
The Nigerian Senate has passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police forces across the country.
The bill was approved on Wednesday after lawmakers considered and adopted its 26 clauses during the committee of the whole.
The proposed legislation seeks to create a constitutional framework for state-controlled police services alongside the existing federal policing structure. It aims to strengthen security, improve intelligence gathering, and enable faster responses to local security threats.
Opening the debate on the bill, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the proposed legislation was an executive bill transmitted by President Bola Tinubu.
Bamidele described the legislation as one of the most significant constitutional reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule.
“This important bill is an executive bill transmitted by Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, seeking to alter the Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police services and other related matters.”
“This bill represents one of the most significant constitutional reforms in our nation’s democratic evolution. It addresses a long-standing national conversation on the structure, effectiveness, responsiveness, and sustainability of policing in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that the current centralised policing structure has come under severe pressure due to the increasing complexity of security threats across the country.
“The increasing complexity of security threats, which include terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts, farmer-herder clashes, cybercrime, organised criminal networks, and other transnational crimes, has placed enormous pressure on the existing policing framework,” Bamidele said.
He explained that the proposed amendments would preserve the federal police while creating constitutional pathways for states to establish their own police services.
According to him, states that choose to establish police services will be required to do so through legislation passed by their respective houses of assembly and must meet national minimum standards prescribed by the National Assembly.
He added that the federal police would retain responsibility for counter-terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime, border security, arms trafficking, policing of the Federal Capital Territory, and other national security matters.
Meanwhile, state police services would be responsible for enforcing state laws, maintaining public order, preventing and detecting crimes within their jurisdictions, and protecting lives and property.
Bamidele emphasized that the bill contains safeguards against political abuse by prohibiting governors from directing state police services to unlawfully target individuals, political parties, groups, or associations.
He added that the legislation strictly prohibits the use of police powers for partisan, ethnic, religious, sectional, or personal purposes.
Contributing to the debate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, the senator representing Abia South, stated that he had previously opposed the creation of state police but changed his position due to the country’s worsening security situation.
”But today, we know that we have a very serious insecurity problem that can only be solved by thinking outside the box. And I think that this is part of it,” he said.
Abaribe noted that the greater concern lies in the provisions of the enabling police legislation that will operationalise the constitutional amendment.
“Our issue on this is actually what goes into the Police Act. It’s not really the amendment of the constitution. Because you can amend the constitution, but the usage of the police in the Act is what bothers most Nigerians,” he said.
The opposition lawmaker warned against granting excessive powers to the president to summarily take over a state police service.
“We cannot have a situation where the president just looks at a state maybe because he’s not on good terms with the governor and decides that he will take it over,” he added.
Abaribe also raised concerns about funding arrangements for state police services, arguing that allocations meant for state police commissions should be guaranteed by the constitution and paid directly to prevent political interference.
“So that what we are seeing today with regard to local government funds, we don’t have to see it with the police. I support this bill and I ask my colleagues to please also support it, provided we put the safeguards that will guarantee each Nigerian their rights,” he said.
Aminu Tambuwal, the senator representing Sokoto South, stated that he has consistently supported state police as part of efforts to deepen federalism in Nigeria.
“Mr. President, let me make it clear that I am in support of this bill and I am in support of the idea of state police. I have been consistent on this, not only when I was in the House of Representatives as Speaker and as Governor of Sokoto State, but even while here in the Senate. In a number of interviews I granted, I alluded to the fact that I support state police because I believe that will be a major leap into the entrenchment of federalism in Nigeria,” he said.
Tambuwal cited recent attacks in Sokoto State as clear evidence of the need for alternative security approaches.
“Only about three or four years ago, in my senatorial district, we lost over 80 people in Dange Shuni Local Government. Only three or four days ago, in the same local government, we lost some police personnel who were there on a rescue mission to repel bandits.”
“So that is a clear picture of what is happening in most parts of the country. This is needed. Every effort, any effort to curb this menace of insecurity in Nigeria is needed.”
Tambuwal echoed Abaribe’s concerns regarding safeguards against abuse by state authorities.
“We must have safeguards that will ensure there is no abuse on the part of those who are today in that position, and those who are coming even those from among us who may become governors of particular states,” he said.
The legislator urged lawmakers to support all efforts aimed at improving security across the country, stating, “I believe that as the Senate of this country, we must ensure that we support Mr. President and support the security agencies in every effort that will establish security in every part of this country.”
For the constitutional amendments to take effect, the bill must secure the approval of at least two-thirds of the state houses of assembly before being transmitted to the president for assent.
Earlier in the session, Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio administered the oath of office and oath of allegiance to four newly elected senators. The lawmakers won by-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Saturday to fill vacancies in four senatorial districts.
The new senators are Senator Halilu Danladi Envulu-Anza of the All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Nasarawa North; Senator Ikeje Asogwa (APC), Enugu North; Senator Dayo Faduyile (APC), Ondo South; and Senator Olaka Nwogu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing Rivers South-East.
With their swearing-in, the Senate now has a full complement as the 10th Assembly pushes legislative work ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The state police bill will next go to the House of Representatives for concurrence before proceeding to the state assemblies, a process expected to generate intense nationwide debate in the coming weeks.